BENGALURU: Maa aschen (Goddess Durga is arriving), so are Bengalis across the country who are heading to their hometowns in West Bengal to celebrate Durga Puja. However, many Bengalis from the city are taking a different route and doing a road trip back home to take part in the festivities.
Among them is Sagnik Manik. He took a four-day road trip to reach his hometown in Howrah. He started off one morning from Bengaluru, concluding the day at Vijayawada. With a halt on the second day and then proceeding to the Shree Jagannatha temple in Puri on day three, day four was the start of the drive to his home in Howrah. Accompanied by his wife, the trip suited the couple, with both having similar interests. Manik, who works in the finance section of a multinational company, had the luxury of time to take on this long drive.
The reason Sinchan Nandi took this trip was for Tojo, his golden retriever. Nandi, a pet parent, makes sure Tojo is part of all major family events, and Durga Puja is no exception. “I never leave Tojo whenever my wife, my daughter, and I travel.We take him along too,”says Nandi.
One of the primary reasons many people opt for these long trips is the exorbitant flight ticket prices. Palas Panja, a Bengali in Bengaluru who started a group called Bong BHP for like-minded people, says more than 50 Bengali families are travelling to West Bengal on road for Durga Puja.
“The flight prices really shoot up during Durga Puja. It is as much as Rs 20,000 per head one way. Imagine the amount you have to spend if you are a family of four. For train tickets, you have to plan your trip way in advance, which is difficult to plan keeping the dynamics in everyone’s workplace. So road trips are a great option, and the memories you make are unmatched,” says Panja.
Sometimes, the adrenaline rush of going on an adventurous trip is also the reason. Atreya Nath pulled off the unthinkable, starting off on October 13 on his bike to reach his home in Kolkata on October 14, just in time for Mahalaya. He rode for 23 hours and covered 1,900 km to be with his parents. “I only took fuel stops, which is when I munched on quick bites. I had some energy drinks and lots of water,” says Nath, who works as a data engineer.
While his parents are used to his road trips, this time they were worried about the road conditions. “The roads beyond Khurda district in Odisha are not so great. Since I was going on a super bike, they were worried about my safety. They are used to me doing long car trips,” he adds.
Pointers for Pet Parents