Technically speaking, ‘kaash’, sometimes called wild sugarcane in English, is a species of tall grass native to the Indian subcontinent. In Bengal, it is a precursor to autumn, and an inseparable part of Durga Puja.
Even today, the intoxicating beat of the ‘dhaak’ is mostly associated with Durga Puja, making it perhaps the world’s only seasonal musical instrument. Here’s more about Bengal’s most unique percussion drum.
The Bengali word dhunuchi describes a flared earthen pot with a stem, filled with smouldering coconut husks and dhuno (equivalent of frankincense), made of resin from the sal tree. What does this have to do with dancing? Read on! .
Sindur Khela (literally ‘vermillion game’) is a tradition on Vijaya Dashami or the last day of Durga Puja, when married Hindu women smear each other with sindur (or sindoor), whose striking red also makes this ritual a favourite of photographers. .
