Panorama

  October they say is not a season, but a feeling. It may mean different to different souls. In the western world, maybe October rings a bell for the advent of fall, streets laden with golden leaves and a cold breeze . However for me October always resonated with Durga Puja, the sense of festivity in the air, a slight nip in the breeze and the fragrance of ‘sewali’ in the night air. It is to this day, whenever I encounter the sweet smell of ‘sewali’ , it takes me on a nostalgic ride to the “sewali”tree blooming in the frontyard of my home in my little town - the innumerable pandal hopping, 90’s songs blazing on the loudspeakers, the continuous clanking of horns and plastic trumpet, and people making their way amidst the chaos and crowd,     decked up in their best attire- pretty maidens, howling kids, colourful stalls and honking cars, all somehow creating a melange of sorts that still vividly paints a picture in my mind, as I hear and feel “ OCTOBER”. But “ October “ als...