Dasami - Bijoya and Biryani

Bijoya Dasami

Every rose has its thorn. The previous days escapades resulted in dedicated family time for the next 48 hours and to win back the family I promised them a "Biryani for life" preparation. For most of the morning, I was busy in the kitchen work and by noon, I was ready with one of the most fragrant Biryanis, I had prepared in my life!

The Biryani Deserves a mention even though its Dasami!

 It was Dasami, the last day of the pujas when Ma Durga is immersed only to come back a year later. The energy and vibrancy of the previous days was clearly missing.
 The Devi is first "brought down" from her dais and we touch her feet for her blessings. It is also time when the married women of the para households play sindoor khela We had a sumptuous Biryani for lunch where I served it to the elders. Accompaniments were salad and raita. The afternoon passed by so quickly and soon it was evening time. It is then that the mind starts to feel heavy. Bijoya dasami have been written, narrated and described by numerous people, but to each his own. The mind starts to feel heavy and the tinge of sadness starts to fill up the mind, slowly filling it up completely. The Pratima is loaded into trucks for a tour of our small town. It is a procession that lasts for a couple of hours touring through the town and finally the Goddess is immersed into the Torsa river. This annual moment of sadness is a part and parcel of most Bengalis and we look up to the next year for Durga Thakur to arrive yet again.