Bengali celebs talk about decorating home for Dussehra

Decorating and doing up your home for the festive Durga Puja season is something most Bengalis indulge in. Just like they buy new clothes for themselves, they also like to revamp the house and give it a novel, celebratory look. While some buy furniture, others opt for new cushion covers, curtains or even wallpapers. There are some who just use fresh flowers to change the atmosphere, or simply re-arrange the furniture around the house.We spoke to a few Bengali celebs and found out what they like doing for their homes for Dussehra���
Prambrata Chatterjee
I think for everyone there is an occasion when one goes on a cleaning spree, clearing out all the unwanted junk that accumulates unnecessarily. And for me that time is before Durga Puja. The weather is beautiful in this part of the year, with that typical shoroder neel aakaash, and encourages one to clean up. We prepare the household for the festive season. Every single year I decide that I wouldn���t buy anything new for the Durga Puja but by the time Pujo is finally here, I end up buying things for not just the near and dear ones, but the house as well. I make it a point to do up my house and buy household utility things or upholstery etc.
RaimaSen
Pujo has always been important to my family ever since our grandparents days. Hence, it is special to us as well. Other than spending on clothes to celebrate the festivity we also spend a lot in doing up our homes. Riya and I take care of the Mumbai home and Mom and Dad take care of the house in Kolkata. We have it extravagantly done up. Our curtains are changed. Our puja room gets decorated stylishly and the house is spick and span. Lights, sweets upholstery buying or cleaning is a must, no matter how recently done prior to that.
Rituparna Sen Gupta
I always land up indulging, actually over indulging, during Pujo. It is amazing how the festive season catches up big time in my family. I usually buy new upholstery for my house and make sure the house is lit every night with lights till the Pujo ends. Brightness everywhere, rangolis and flower decorations is a must. It is my most favourite month of the year.
Tannishtha Chatterjee
I am a minimalistic person. So my home is done in a very simple way. I like colours though. I change curtains and bed linens with seasons. Bathroom and kitchen is very important to me. Again have used different colours for it and also some terracotta tiles. I love that ethnic touch, so I have miniatures, Madhubani paintings and some painted mirror frames. I am also a lighting freak and have very interesting lamps from all over. The quick way change home decore during Dussehra is to change linen, cushions and curtains.
Rohit Roy
Dussehra in some ways signifies a time for change for me. Ring out the old, bring in the new and that is what we do. We not only decorate our home with the diyas and lights but also change a lot of the soft furnishings which gives a fresh new look to our home during the festive season.
Monali Thakur
I believe in colours and associate that with most festivals ��� they can brighten up any home. This festive season I am using colourful cushions in various hues to do up my rooms. I feel that the colour of a single wall can make a difference, or even just a bright curtain could change the look of your room. I love yellow light and use mood lighting at home ��� lights that are bright, or dim and pretty work for me. A house, I feel, should be a very happy place and so I use colourful flowers to give it that happy look. Another thing that is important for me is how does the house smell ��� I use scented candle or fresh sweet-smelling flowers on water.
Babul Supriyo Durga Puja for Bengalis is not just a four day ritual full of festivities, and fun with a divine touch to it, but it is indeed a frame of mind. Not only do we decorate our homes for the Pujas but we also prepare and in-a-way detoxify and beautify our minds to welcome Maa Durga into our homes. Apart from all the exterior lighting, Rangolis etc that we do, it is also the inner joy and happiness that truly connect us with the Deity. Enlightenment of the mind drives away darkness and shadows of fear from it to help purify of our souls. To me, Pujo is part of our existence and apart from empowering and lightening us up inside-out, it also reinstates our belief in the victory of good over evil, therefore strengthening our existence in itself.
Reeth Mazumder
In Mumbai Pujo is not celebrated as much I feel, but being a Bengali and having grown up in Kolkata for a bit, I���ve brought along with me the colours of that place. I indulge in a lot of shopping for myself and my house during this season. Decorations, torans for the main entrance, rangolis in the puja room and what I spend most on is lights of various kinds. I love buying furnishings for the entire house and a month in advance upholstery-shopping begins, either for our living room or bedroom. We splurge and its just a lovely feeling.
Mitali Bhupinder Singh
For me Pujo is associated with alpona. I love it and feel that a little alpona can completely bring in that unmistakable feeling of festivity in the house. I have grown up seeing my mother take a simple matir prodip and drawing designs on it or painting it to get a festive look. And another thing that can really brighten up any d��cor is fresh flowers. I like all kinds of fresh flowers, but I just love beli phool. Changing the curtains and furnishings can work too.