A regular search for what to eat on Ashtami afternoon led to an unexpected discovery. Around eight Durga Puja committees around south Kolkata appeared on a popular food delivery platform, offering bhog boxes for pre-order for Navami and Dashami at Rs 101, excluding additional charges.
A little investigation on social media revealed that this service is not new. The option was available for the first time last year, though the stock appeared to be limited. A few lucky people who got their hands on the boxes shared videos and photographs on social media, and several others complained in the comments that they could no longer place orders as the stock ran out fast.
This year, the number of bhog boxes available appear to be higher. Around late afternoon on Ashtami, every committee still had more than 100 boxes left.
But how does the ordering process work?
The platform allows users to pre-order the bhog from puja committees (who have signed up with the app) in their neighbourhood. Customers can select a delivery slot and date before choosing a committee from the list. In this case, four time slots were available between 2pm and 4pm.
We went for Behala Nutan Dal’s offering.
There was no variation in the menu. Each committee listed a single bhog box that comes with the day’s offering — payesh, a pujo flower, sindoor and a terracotta face of Goddess Durga.
The listed price was Rs 102, with a discount of Re 1, bringing the final price to Rs 101. The platform also displayed the remaining stock, allowing users to see how many boxes were still available at the time of ordering.
The final ordering process involves selecting the number of boxes, completing the payment and placing the order for the chosen date.
Surprisingly, there was a non-vegetarian option on the platform. However, none of the puja committees listed in the neighbourhood were offering a non-vegetarian bhog option for Navami.
The availability of bhog through an app has been applauded on social media, as it has opened an alternate way for people to access the ritual offering during the city’s biggest festival without standing in long queues.
However, whether the service can meet the demand as orders increase remains to be seen.