It is said that Bengalis celebrate 13 festivals in 12 months. Due to such abundance of festivities, there’s always one for everyone, to the extent that there’s one exclusively for the students! Saraswati Puja, or worshipping the Goddess of Learning, is a day eagerly awaited for by all young Bengalis since it’s the only day when parents cannot pester their children with studies as the books have to be deposited with the Goddess herself!
In our childhood, it was a day of fun, frolic, and endless bantering. Typically, the day started with a puja at home followed by visits to the pujas being organized in the neighborhoods and schools. It was the day when we were allowed to go out with friends, wear sarees, taste “kul” or sour berries, and enter schools that were out of bounds on other days.

Although the festival has witnessed some cosmetic changes over the years, the spirit remains the same. However, for us who have settled in a country miles away from our homeland, it is an unforgettable memory etched in our hearts. Unfortunately, our children- a generation growing up in North America in a virtual world of connections- are unaware of the collective fun associated with Saraswati Puja. Keeping this in mind is our initiative- Purbayan’s Saraswati Puja, where our attempt is to bring this gen Y to the forefront, give them a taste of our
childhood, make them the organizers- where they call the shots, and are not simply there to appease their parents and hide behind their ipods. It is a festival for the children, by the children, and of the children, and we intend to keep it that way, with minimum adult interference. There might be glitches- for they range from 3 years to 15 years, yet we are sure their enthusiasm will win you over! So, come and join these young hearts, and through them let us reminisce our lost days, and feel proud that the baton of our culture is in safe hands. Help them create fond memories- just the way we did yesterday!!