Diwali means different things to different people. While some look forward to the fireworks and sweets, the Bengalis about this time of year are likely to turn to Maa Kali, midnight prayers and, inevitably, khichuri bhog.

Bengali communities in Hyderabad are preparing to celebrate it this weekend on November 8 as the festivities begin a day earlier with Bhoot Chaturdashi where traditionally 14 lamps are lit.

From Secunderabad and Ameerpet to Nizampet and Kanchanbagh, Kali Puja has become a cherished tradition among Bengali families in the city, many of whom have spent their entire lives in Hyderabad and know the festival through memories made here rather than in Bengal.

Apart from the familiar rituals is another story of Bengalis who have grown up in Hyderabad and inherited a culture whose celebrations feel no less their own for being hundreds of kilometres away from Bengal.

"I have never experienced puja in Kolkata. Everything I know about it comes from Hyderabad. We used to live in the same lane as Sainikpuri Kalibari, and most of my memories of puja are from there," said Sampurnananda Roy of Krishti Goshti, Kanchanbagh.

His association, which comprises largely Bengali defence families, is preparing for a relatively simple celebration this year after an elaborate Durga Puja. Their Kali Puja will take place at the community hall in the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) quarters in Kanchanbagh.

Elsewhere, Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha is preparing for two days of celebrations at Keyes Girls High School in Secunderabad, while Uttarayan will celebrate its 48th year at MCH Ground, Ameerpet starting on November 7.

Prabashi Socio-Cultural Association has planned its eighth Kali Puja at Saptapadi Garden Function Hall in Nizampet. Previous years have also seen community celebrations in Kokapet, Bandlaguda Jagir, Attapur, Alwal, Bachupally, Miyapur, Manikonda and several other neighbourhoods, although this year's programmes at those locations are still to be confirmed.

Nizampet will have something special this time as the association is bringing women dhakis, traditional drummers, from Kolkata for the celebrations. The association will also retain the traditional daaker saaj style of decorating the Kali idol. Anirban Guha, its general secretary, said midnight worship and khichuri bhog remain central to the one-day festival.

"Kali Puja has been celebrated in practically every nook and corner of Bengal for generations. Hyderabad does not have the same number of celebrations but they are growing. People travel from faraway parts of the city to attend, which also includes elderly devotees who come to offer their prayers," said Guha.

The celebrations at Keyes, meanwhile, have a longer history. Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha began celebrating Durga Puja in 1965, while Kali Puja followed in 1986. Abhijeeth Bhattacharjee, the association's vice-president, said most of its members were born and raised in Hyderabad. Its November 8 and 9 programme will include religious ceremonies and musical performances, while bhog remains one of the main attractions. "We have artists coming from Kolkata on both days, along with local performers. Even the Kali idol is made by the same artisans who prepare our Durga idol," said Bhattacharjee.

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