Come October, and there is a distinct smell of festivity in the air—what we Bengalis call pujor gondho. More than an actual fragrance, it is a sensory experience conjured up by memories of dhoop (frankincense), heady parijat flowers, fields of kaash phool, and warm days bathed in sunshine with occasional bursts of rain. It’s the time for all-night Ram-Leela performances at mela grounds, frenetic “garba evenings,” flaming Raavan effigies and a countdown to the biggest extravaganza of them all, Diwali.
