Durgapuja

Every year, at around four in the morning, a deep voice rises out of old radio sets and phone speakers across Bengal and begins chanting verses from the Chandi. Half the city is still asleep, and the other half is sitting in the dark with a cup of tea, pretending they’re not emotional about it. That’s Mahalaya. For many Bengalis, Durga Puja doesn’t begin with pandals or new clothes. It begins here. The voice behind the morning The programme is Mahishasuramardini, and the voic