10 Outfits For Each Day Of Durga Puja Pandal Hopping That Are Fabulous And Comfortable To Wear

There is an unwritten rule of Durga Puja that we were taught early on…never repeat an outfit during the 10-day long festival! As a wee toddler, my mother used to stitch little salwar suits for me and my sister with the same length of fabric she bought in bulk. Granted we were both twinning in the same print and colour, but we never re-wore any individual outfit. A big part of Pujo for Bengali children are the new clothes they get to wear every day, soiling and ruining their sheen by EOD. Now that I am a grown up (supposedly!) and understand the sanctity of clothes, I do not soil them. But I do sometimes get delicious street food on them while pandal hopping…nothing that can’t be fixed with a quick dry cleaning sesh!

This year is no different. The annual festivities of Durga Puja are well underway and a major part of it, pandal hopping, warrants special attention to our wardrobe. For the uninitiated, pandal hopping refers to Bong families stepping out of their Barwari pandals and checking out others around the city. Pandal decoration is a coveted art in our community and we indulge in them greatly. An average family of 5 will hit at least 10 pandals in a night (we go up to 4 am), which means, fabulous looking agile outfits need to be at our disposal.

It can be a task to put together a great outfit every night. Which is why we are gathering inspiration from some of our favourite fashion girls and the trendy ethnic numbers they have been wearing. Apart from the obvious set of Taant sarees, we want these pretty outfits for our Puja style!

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Prathami

The first day of Puja, while still calmer, is an auspicious one. The pre-puja prep is always a joy to witness on these early days. From pratima painting to draping of their sarees, our local communities add final touches to their idols and a quick exploration in an easy-to-wear is not too shabby!

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Ditiya

Having finished adding the final touches, pandals start unveiling Maa’s faces from day 2. One of the major ethnic wear trends this festive season is yellow. We are looking at translating it to a cute sharara for a night out. They are also great for the Garba night at our nearest community centre!

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Tritiya

Most cities in the country are comparatively warmer during puja. As such, this puja we want our wardrobe to hold a few lightweight and airy pieces. A pretty ethnic top and palazzo set should definitely do the trick.

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Chaturthi

Like we said, Durga Puja and Navaratri, while two versions of the same festival, are celebrate it with vastly differently. As such, a gharara set in rich emerald hues is great to pandal hopping first and them head out for dandiya night.

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Panchami

We love kurta and lehenga sets! These effortless beauties are perfect to kick off the “official” first day of Puja, when everybody is psyched to debut their looks. If a hot pink embroidered number won’t make heads turn, we don’t know what will.

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Shashti

Keeping up with the festive trends this season, simple silhouettes made up of indulgent trims and fabrics is a good look for the puja. Blending contemporary and youthful styles with Indian signature designs like bandhani and mirror work is one of our top themes this season.

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Saptami

Most puja pandals put their festivities in full gear post the Saptami aarti. From folk dance performances to a long night of orchestra filling the night with their tunes, our nights from day 7 are not meant for sleeping. As such, we need something gorgeous yet lightweight to wear for the same. Can’t think of a better option than a silk saree!

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Ashtami

The most important day of the puja, Ashtami begins early. I remember waking up at 6, rushing to get showered and dressed in my best clothes to make the first round of pushpanjali. That is why a lehenga saree is what we will be investing in this year, you just have to slip them on and they look luxurious. And of course, they will be red!

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Navami

Navami is when things get really exciting when it comes to the post-aarti activities! We have the exuberant dhunichi naach and the 3-hour-long gut busting skits to look forward to. How to make the best of them? A pretty sheer saree with the softest embroidery!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B29jLZUBLqg/

Dashami

The red and white saree is a classic puja look. Why not add some fun elements to it? From polka dots to stripes, the red and white saree has evolved into a millennial dream, courtesy the genius that is Sabyasachi. One please!

What are you wearing this Puja? Don’t forget to share your OOTDS and tag us!

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