15 typical ways Bengalis behave during Durga Puja

This Puja-typical behaviour invariably tells you how enthusiastic Bengalis are when it comes to Devi Durga and dhunuchi naach and everything in between.

With kash flowers waving at you on the road and shopping malls screaming 'flat 50 per cent off', you know that it's that time of the year when you are excused for everything for not showing up at office in time, returning home late, and for even wasting money on buying similar sarees of slightly different shades of red. It's time for all-day and all-night celebrations. Because Durga Puja is here again!

And need we say what it means to Bengalis?

For them, the Puja mood sets in at least a month before the festival. Because there's shopping, shopping and a whole lot of shopping to be done. And believe me, from the generous amount of time that I have spent with a coterie of Bong friends, I've noticed that these people, who love everything sweet, behave in a particular way when Puja is around. And this Puja-typical behaviour invariably tells you how enthusiastic they are when it comes to Devi Durga and dhunuchi naach and everything in between.

Here are 15 solid examples of their Puja-typical behaviour:

1. Girls have to rack their brains and come up with some exclusive blouse designs which are given to the tailors months in advance. And that's kept a secret. Even besties don't share that.

2. There are status updates among Bongs across the globe.

3. Even that unkempt boy who always wears baggy jeans and scruffy shirts shows up in clean kurtas.

4. Boys tend to fix their 'addas' at the pandals. And you better know why!

5. And if you are part of a Puja organising committee, you tend to spend most of your time snooping around and trying to know what your rival party is up to this time.

6. If you have any talent in music or dance or anything creative, you volunteer for the local pandal as this is the perfect platform to win accolades and attention! And you also don't mind slogging these extra hours post office.

7. Even the night-owls and lazy bones among you are up by 4 o' clock in the morning on the day of Mahalaya to listen to 'Mahishashur Mardini', the composition of shlokas and songs created by Birendra Krishna Bhadra. And that is played on a loop.

8. With this you also wake up the 'social butterfly' in you because it's time for reunions. You never know who you will bump into while hopping around the pandals.

9. Even the wallflowers start socialising because it's pandal hopping time. And you need to move in a herd while doing so. More the number of friends, it is merrier.

10. Puchkas, mangsho kosha, sondesh, chom chom. Nom...nom...nom! Your diet plan goes for a toss. And you don't mind it too. Street-side eateries become a haven.

11. You party all night and sneak into home early in the morning. Still mom doesn't go tsk-tsk!

12. Rarely it happens that you gorge on a menu that doesn't have 'maach' (fish). Khichudi, tomator chutney and roshogolla on one platter never tasted so yum before. You relish it utterly.

13. Whether you are a good dancer or not, dancing to the beats of dhaak and doing that dhunuchi naach is a ritual. And you ardently do it (sometimes also in your room just as a dummy run).