Saraswati puja: Bengali’s valentines day

Saraswati pujo or vasant panchami is celebrated in a grand manner in Bengal. Near any school or college you can find the flock of young girls draped in beautiful sarees and boys in punjabi. This day is said of be Bengali’s valentines day, a day for the young couples hopping pandals holding hands and those who couldn’t gather courage to express their love, wait for saraswati Puja to express their feelings.

For the past twenty years, on saraswati puja it’s been mandatory to meet school friends, visit school and have the delicious ” bhoger Khichuri ” and I’m happy that this year was no exception.

On the day of the puja, we strictly eat veg dishes and cooking for the day after is also done on that day. On the following day there’s a ritual named “Shitol Shoshthi” to eat the cold foods cooked on previous day .

“Gota Seddo” is a mandatory dish for saraswati Puja, the daal and veggies like potato, spinach, pointed gourd, eggplant, peas, beans, spinach are pressure cooked and then served with green chilies and mustard oil drizzled on it. It’s said to prevent chicken pox which is a common disease affects in this season.

Wore a red printed silk saree which is a gift from my cousin’s MIL.