Homeland

In the chilly weather of winter in Canada and during my spare time, I like to reflect back to the days of my childhood in West Bengal in the eastern part of India. At that time, the usual school season was from January to December. So, we used to get about three weeks off from our school after the final exam and before the start of the next higher level.

After the long months of study, we were very happy to have this break. In winter, the sunny noon time was very comfortable for us. There was a small playground in front of our rented house. We children would come out to play after our lunch. Sometimes, I used to read books while sitting under the sun. This was our routine on weekdays.

Every year during winter, a fair was held at Shyamnagar, India beside the bank of the river Ganges, and it is still celebrated to this day. The Ganges is one of the most important, longest and holiest rivers in our country. It starts its journey from the great Himalayan ranges and continues for 2,525 km to finally flow into the Bay of Bengal.

The fair is organized by a temple committee located in the same area. The temple is a few hundred years old and the goddess Kali is worshipped there. People from the surrounding area come mainly on Tuesdays and Saturdays to visit the temple and the fair. In weekends, I used to go there with my sisters and parents. It was very exciting for me. I liked the rides and to eat freshly fried sweets, especially my favourite called Jilabi. Decades have now passed, but I still wish I could go back to those exciting days of my childhood.