Durga Puja is a time of merriment that is not just in part a harvest festival celebrating the goddess; it is also believed to mark the start of her journey to her birthplace to be with her beloved children. Durga's symbolic return to the divine universe, her marital home, marks the festival's conclusion. The celebration is incomplete without spending time with loved ones, good food and a pile of books and magazines waiting to be read. 

West Bengal authors, editors and publishers work tirelessly to treat Bengali readers with literature to be enjoyed during the Durga Puja break. Here are a few I'm relishing this week. 

Anondomela (আনন্দমেলা পূজাবার্ষিকী)

Probably the most well-known periodical not only in Kolkata, but Bangladesh as well, Anondomela has been churning out monthly issues since 1975. And they leave no stones unturned with their mammoth 500-page Durga Puja issue every year. 

Short stories, novels, poems, and Feluda, Professor Shonku, Ghanada, and Rappa Ray comics are featured, alongside upcoming authors, giving them the platform to reach out to mass readers. 

For BDT 480, the magazine is a bargain for everyone from your nanu, to your mom, to your crush. 

Bhoot Bhutum (ভূতভুতম পূজাবার্ষিকী)

Although Bhoot Bhutum is a relatively new addition in the list of monthly magazines, it has been nothing short of a delight. They started their journey as a Facebook group in 2017, where members shared original horror stories. As the number of active members increased, so did its popularity. They finally published a compilation of the best works from the group and gained an instant stamp of approval from horror geeks. This year's Puja issue will cost BDT 550. Don't let the colourful and vibrant cover deceive you though—I have been keeping my nightlight on since I started reading it.   

Read more

Books to read this Durga Puja

Sharodiyo Desh (শারদীয় দেশ)

Another periodical that is popular, but did not live up to its reputation this year, in my opinion. Although this year's issue has stories by the well-loved Sunil Gangopadhyay and the fan favourite Odhbhuture Series by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, you wouldn't be missing anything if you decided to skip it.

Anandabazar Patrika (শারদীয় আনন্দবাজার পত্রিকা পূজাবার্ষিকী)

The vibrant Anandabazar was not a letdown, as it features all the top contemporary writers of West Bengal, with original artwork complimenting the short stories. Agni Ray's "Desher Naam Pakistan" is a memorable short travel account in which the author takes readers through an unforgettable journey through Pakistan. Among all the others, Ray's work stood out as it is an unbiased narrative, and how he navigates a country that has anything but a friendly relationship with his motherland. 

Snehashish Chakrabarty Ovi, a Creative Manager working for an advertising agency in Dhaka, fondly reminisces his childhood days, as he reads through the Anandamela Pujabarshiki issue during his lunch break. 

"My mother used to read me stories on lazy afternoons, when it was too hot to go outside and play. As I grew older, I used to wait for my turn, as my mother read it, followed by uncles/aunts/cousins. By the time the magazine reached me, it was battered", he tells me. But hey, a battered and worn copy just shows it is well loved, isn't it?

Imtiaz Jenin, an Art Director, who is also a father of a pair of 4-year-old twin boys, sighs when asked about how he manages to read the 400+ page issues. "My sons love to skim through the issues and look at the colourful illustrations", he says. 

As for myself, I am a firm believer in acquiring the Puja issues and telling myself, I will eventually read all of them. And every year, I fail, only to wait for the next year's issues to come out. 

Redwan Islam Orittro is co-founder of Bookstagram BD on Facebook, part time digital media advertiser and full time reader. You can check his book blog on Instagram: @the_manwholovedbooks.