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Divine Refresh
ManjiraDutta, former editor, Good Housekeeping, India& Design Today
Growing up in Assam, Manjira Dutta recalls the wondrous celebrations of Durga Puja… and the best part? The tradition of refreshing one’s wardrobe!
Durga Puja was quite the big happening of the year – and you didn’t have to be a Bengali to be carried away by the fervour of this delightful festival, so full of symbolism.From the purifying chants of Mahalaya, the aarti, the scent of dhuna, to the crescendo of Vijayadashami where the Goddess is bidden a ceremonial farewell for the year – it’s all abuzz with excitement.
Durga Puja is one of the largest celebrated festivals in the world today. And the preparation begins days and weeks earlier. A big part of this is the old tradition of a fresh beginning, and what can be better than a brand new wardrobe!
In the past, pandals were full of the latest in traditional sarees but today there is a lot to choose from and flaunt under the benign eyes of the Goddess. Let’s not forget that the divinity herself blazed her own path, slaying the evil demon, while being a loving consort to Shiva and mother to the divine children, Ganesh, Kartik, Lakhsmi and Saraswati. And never once did she lose out on her feminine grace and elegance.
Max Fashion brings you a range of clothes for your entire family to herald in the festival of Goddess Durga. I particularly love to shed my traditional mekhelas that I wear for most of the Assamese festivals and don either a saree or a modern interpretation and adaptation of the original salwar kameez. A long kurta and skirt; straight pants and a brocade flowing kurta, layers of ghagra, kurta, waitcoat… The sky is the limit!