My ideas

Durga pujo , when goddess Durga with her children travels all the way from Kailash to visit her maternal home for a handful of days. Though the festival originally signifies the victory of goodness over evil, it is evidently a celebration of homecoming . These are the days which makes even a reticent service - class Bengali sitting at his / her corner desk - job in any nook and crook of this world, gather some courage and apply for a week long of leaves. If approved, he would start counting minutes for this once in a year reunion with fun, food, family and friends and if not then, plan on planning a " Baro - yaari " Pujo committee with his similar sympathizing fellow associates. This festival has never been only about the prayers and offerings to the goddess. It is the sense of belongingness, a craving, to grasp our roots which marks this as a special occasion. Kolkata , the City of joy, adorns itself with lights, music, art, culture being in its true colour

Thanks to the upper caste Hindu Brahmins under the British rule, who thought working with leather goods is a job made for the so - called lower castes like Chamars or Mochis, traders and workers from China arrived in Colonial India. A particular Chinese friend also set up a sugar mill near Kolkata welcoming more of his acquaintances into this port city. Some say, they are the reason we call sugar, "chini"!! Fast forward three centuries later, Kolkata is the only city in India which comes alive with fluorescent dragon and lion dancers every Chinese New Year in February. These Christian and Buddhist friends even house a Kali temple where a Hindu Goddess, Kali is worshipped with Chowmein as " bhog " instead of the usual fruits. Where else would you find this multi - culturalism? Although only a handful of our Bengali - Chinese friends still own leather businesses, the one reason we would remain forever grateful is the Chinese cuisine they br