Ramendu Majumdar looks back on his childhood Puja memories

Ekushey Padak awardee Ramendu Majumdar has been working in the field of theatre as an actor, producer and director for five decades. On the occasion of Durga Puja, he shares his childhood memories of the festival with The Daily Star.  

Ramendu Majumdar was born in Lakshmipur. He finished his schooling there, and later, left the place for college. He spoke fondly about his hometown.

“Any festival was a joyous occasion for us. However, I especially miss the Durga Puja celebrations,” he says. “My village is located 12 kilometres away from the main town. Consequently, we had to take a trip by boat to get there. The journey was a celebration in itself. As a child, I loved walking around the areas and visiting friends and neighbours during the festivities.”

The artiste recalled that making preparations for Puja, building and decorating Maa Durga’s statue, waiting for days to buy new clothes and visiting his friends were things that he was most excited about.

“My Muslim friends used to come over to our house during Puja,” he recalls. “We used to visit cultural programmes, where renowned folk singers performed. We celebrate the occasion together with our Muslim friends even today.”