If I could have perfumes specially made for me, I would order these:
Pujo-pujo smell
Ma-ma smell
Bari-bari smell
Kolkata-kolkata smell
Hill station- hill station smell
Brishti-brishti smell
Lazy Sunday afternoon smell
Summer holiday smell
Shiraz Biriyani smell
Bikel-bela-tele-bhaja-and-cha smell
Holi’r abir smell
Bedwin mutton roll smell
Sea-side smell (not the stinking fish types…but the fresh cool breeze types)
P.S. I wouldn’t really “wear” these (I don’t have too many friends here, anyway…and I have to keep my job too). Would just smell them occasionally, according to my mood. I am particularly missing the first one now :(
17 comments:
Awwww I wish I could bottle it for you indeed!:-) And I would love to carry it all the way:-)
Oh the smells of childhood really overwhelm you at times don't they!
Hey what will be the english translation for that Pujo Pujo smell :)? I am currently writing a post on Durga Puja related and I exactly stumbled on that word :-(
And that Siraz biryani and Bedwin roll!! jeev e jal samlano jachhe na :)
I agree with you. The first one somehow comes back and haunts just around the time September creeps in and you can visualise the first scaffoldings being put up in Kolkata for the Pandals.
I was in Sydney for Pujas 2008 and it was a joke :-). Here in Singapore at least the Pujas are celebrated over 4 days. There it was just a Sat & Sun, to pack in all the 4 days.
scribbler, if u find them send me a few vials too. will spray them lke room freshners and change mood whenever i wish to. Loved the post. somehting so simple yet, graphic about it. i dread the pujo here in Sydney. Frst of all its next week, when pujo doesnt even begin in real, back home. and then its for a day. Followed by the next weekend for another club's pujo. Something is pputting me off big time babe. and i think i'll spend some extra dough and visit home during kali pujo and give perth a miss...:(.
I'd also like notun jama-notun jama gondho. which u get only from buying salwar kurtas and crisp cotton sarees ...eikhane aami je kano elam, theek bhoojte parchi na. will write somting around this today . its been killing me.
Mustaf - I don't think anyone can really translate the 'pujo-pujo' smell. Not even in any other Indian language will you find an exact equivalent...and in English, no way!
However, if you ask me the key ingredients to that smell, I would say:
A table spoon of "dhuno"
A pinch of "kash phool"
A bowl of "dhaker awaj"
A cup of those typical songs they play in the loudspeakers
And sprinkle a handful of "shiuli phool" to garnish :)
Let me know when you have written your post, would love to read it.
SB - If you thought Sydney was a joke, you should check out the one in Perth. At least they have 8-9 pujos in Sydney, so "pandal-hopping" is still an option. They have 4-days of pujo in Singapore!! Is Singapore really the "home away from home" they all fuss about?
KG - I wont send you the perfumes if I find them...you have to come to Perth to get them.
I agree, notun-jama-from-new-market has such a strangely "happy" smell :)
@Scriibler : You bet, Singapore actually is the "home away from home" that they speak (so much) of. You see more Tamilians here than you would probably see in Tamil Nadu. We have quite an active Bong Society as well, but in the lines of most (?) probashi Bong Societies, the members are extremely superficial towards most things. But yes, you get most of the 'feels' of home sans the pollution, traffic and teeming populace. And to top it all, it's just 3.5 hrs away from the real thing :-)
As for Pujo in Sydney is concerned, was horrified to witness the whole thing 'capsuled' in 2 days' time. That was quite an experience.
You are welcome to read this
http://thoughtfrominside.blogspot.com/2009/09/our-eid-their-durga-puja.html
And i have given reference to your recipe of Pujo pujo smell in my post :)
Mone kharap lagchche....Bangalore-e jodio pujo ta Chennai-er theke bhalo...tobuo...kerom ekta homeless lagchche
I was re-reading your article and missed one more. The "Bournvita-Bournvita Smell". The "smell' of Bournvita / Horlicks takes me back to the school days and the way mom used to bring over the glass of warm Bournvita to the study table, always preceded by the "khat-khat" sound of the spoon hitting the glass and the way Bhutu, sleeping peacefully underneath the table, used to prick up his ears, give a sharp happy yelp and streak out, wagging his tail, looking balefully at me as if to say "Hey come on .. I am here as well."
@Scribbler..You are absolutely right! 'pujo-pujo gandho' can not be translated in any language. My most favourite writer, Syed Mujtaba Ali compared that as one can not translate a German proverb which literally means, 'to become blue, drinking beer' in Bangla; so one can not translate 'panta bhate tetul chotke ek sanak gile elam', er German translation hoy na.
@Ashoke - LOL, couldn't agree more. The nuances of every language would be a pretty interesting subject.
@Madmax - That's quite a picturesque description...could visualise you in that moment. Though I don't quite relate to it...ran away from anything that was healthy.
hey, got directed to your blog through some friends... really liked this post and many others too, of course.. Keep writing :)
Mani
After posting the comment I realized commenting is upon approval, so just wanted to kind of mention the happy fact that am not a stalker or a psycho :). I am supposedly in grad school and spend most of my time writing and reading blogs and stuff. Really liked your blog and thought would mention that. Blokay!!. Ciao.
Hi Manikarn - A psycho stalker following my blog would be quite interesting, though :) But am sure you are not one...psycho stalkers don't have the time to read and comment. Welcome to my blog and thanks for your comments :)
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