someone asked me the other day, if i could eat non-veg khana during durga pooja.

fact is, durga pooja may be about religion, but it is not just about worship. there are no dos and donts, no dictats, few dogmas.

and loads of must haves and some must dos.

must have kobiraji cutlet (a mutton cutlet deep fried in an egg batter which makes it lacy) , moghlai paratha, mutton roll, chingri (prawn) cutlet and mutton chops... and all the rest of the fantastic food that blocks your arteries and hastens a heart attack. and yes, queue up for the amazing khichri bhog

and the must dos

go pandal hopping, wear your spanking best (its tiresome, but what the hell...), get a listing of the must 'kalcharal items' and go a little early so you and the gang get to park your posterior on chairs from where you can see the artiste's ingrown toe nail. watch the dhakis first beat their drums 

and if you're in kolkata, swell with pride at the extraordinary pandals. its honestly difficult to contain your sneer when u look at the unbelievably tacky and ordinary pandals during ganpati.

and, um, religion?

that too in small measures when you've finished with the above. pooja after all, is not really religion -- it's a convergence of bengali passion.