Durga Puja 2019: It's Time for Navratri Vegetarian Food And Pujo Non-Vegetarian Delicacies, Let's Please Focus on Celebrating The Festival And Not Creating A Divide!

Mumbai, September 27: With just a day left for Mahalaya 2019, Bengalis around the world have already started counting days to welcome Maa Durga home. Durga Pujo for Bengalis is not only a day filled with rituals and traditions but also an emotion. The festival stands for fun, frolic and food and we can't stress enough on the importance of the last one. Durga Puja revolves around food and Bengalis have NON-VEG food; get over it!

How many times have you heard from colleagues and friends: "What! You have non-vegetarian food during Navratri?" I am sure, all the Bengalis go through it during Pujo season. Yes, we do because Bongs celebrate Durga Puja. The rest of the country don't because they celebrate Navratri! Mahalaya 2019: How to Hear Birendra Krishna Bhadra's Mahishasura Mardini Live on AIR, Watch Online on YouTube And Telecast on Zee Bangla, Star Jalsha & Other Channels.

Aren't Durga Puja and Navratri the Same?

No, it is not, while different forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped in these 10 days, both these Hindu festival have their own set of beliefs.

Why do Bengalis Have Non-Vegetarian Food During Durga Puja?

According to the Bengali tradition, during Durga Puja, Goddess Durga arrives from Kailash along with her kids to her paternal home. When a daughter when she visits her parents' home after marriage, she is fed with all the special delicacies. Just like that, Maa Durga is also prayed to and worshipped like a daughter. During her stay with us, she is offered a variety of foods including non-vegetarian delicacies.

As per Hindu mythology, there is also a set of beliefs that Bengali Brahmins were majorly vegetarian, but they found the flavour of Bengal's sweet water fish irresistible. So they succumbed to temptation and called the fish "fruit of the ocean." So fish is considered pure by Bengalis and, therefore we offer it to Goddess Durga during Durga Puja. How Sonagachi Sex Workers Fought Their Way to Start Their Own Pujo And Are Celebrating With A Special Theme This Year.

On the ninth-day Navami, mutton is also offered and fed to several people as prasad. Apart from puja, Bengalis concentrate all their energies on pet puja or how to satiate the cravings of their stomach by having different delicacies.

Why Do People Abstain From Non-Veg Food During Navratri?

Navratri follows a different set of beliefs. Unlike Durga Puja, consuming nonveg food during these 10 days is a sin. One of the prime reason why non-Bengalis abstain from non-vegetarian food is that they consider these days as spiritual. They refer to these 10-days of Navratri as Devi Ke Din. Leave aside non-vegetarian food, people don't have garlic and onion as well.

It is believed that having sattvic food during Navratri helps cleanse all the toxins that one has accumulated in the body. Some also believe that Tamasic foods create desires, and increase mental dullness. One won't be able to devote all their energies and mind to their prayers. Few even think that the reason behind not having non-vegetarian food is to honour Goddess Durga and not encourage violence against animals. Navratri Makeup Hacks: How to Keep Your Makeup in Place All Night and Enjoy Garba With Your Friends.

In fact,  keeping in mind the low demand for non-vegetarian food during Navaratri, popular fast-food chains like McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut and others introduce vegetarian items in their offerings. While during Puja in Kolkata and other Bengali dominated places, you will see restaurants adding more non-vegetarian items in the menu to lure Bengalis

Such contradictory food habits and set of beliefs for the same festival of  Goddess Durga is seen only in India. This often leads to confusion.  Many times, Bengalis have been trolled for eating non-vegetarian food during Navratri. Last year, Fortune Oil had to withdraw one of their Durga puja ads for showing fish and non-vegetarian dishes in it. The trolling was so intense that the brand had to withdraw the ad.

We Bengalis gorge on anything and everything that faintly resembles food in these 10 days without a single iota of guilt. Shorshe bhapa, Ilish paturi, mutton kosha, luchi, pulao to street food like kobiraji, cutlet, deemer devil are some of the foods that we indulge in. This Durga Puja and Navratri, let Goddess Durga and her devotees decide on what she wants to have and not create this unnecessary divide and confusion!

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 27, 2019 07:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).