“The Curious Case of Kola Bou: The Banana Bride”, Hindu American, September 23, 2025
“The often overlooked and misunderstood form of Shakti
Growing up as an Indian girl from Bihar, whose father’s job had us hopscotching across India, I often felt like a cultural sponge—soaking in accents, festivals, food, and customs from every stop. But one moment, in particular, from when I was thirteen, stands out vividly.
It was Durga Puja in my hometown, Ranchi. The air pulsed with the deep, hypnotic beats of the dhak (percussion instrument similar to a dhol), women’s voices soared with ulludhwani—that high-pitched sound made by curling the tongue—and the scent of incense mingled with fried luchis (savory snack) and bhog khichuri (a dish made of rice and lentils distributed as prasad) from makeshift stalls. I had been saving up my pocket money for months to buy a new salwar-kameez (because in Pujo (the Bengali styled celebration of Durga Puja) season, it was unthinkable to wear anything old!). Amid all this sensory overload, something caught my eye:
A banana plant, draped in a red-bordered saree, standing demurely at the pandal near the icon of Ganesha……..”
Read full article at hinduamerican.org
