Adieu to Goddess Durga

Smiles through tears
Overwhelmed by nostalgia, Coordinators bid adieu to Goddess Durga with hope and joy in their hearts
A new beginning
The lively sound of the dhaks fills our ears and brings a smile onto our faces, which goes on to light a twinkle in our eyes. The dhakis gather more speed and lose some rhythm as all get submerged in the separate pool of thought of every individual.

Mothers bid the Goddess farewell with sindur and sweets. They pray for the well-being of their husbands and families and then go on to redden the cheeks of girls with this holy colour. Grandparents walk up to the idols and take their last blessings while the men flex their muscles as they prepare for the Herculean task of carrying the idols onto the waiting trucks.

And amidst all this, in each heart stirs a certain something - an emotion that cannot be given a name. It is just — a bit of regret, and sorrow, a longing to hold onto the moments… with a tinge of joy that, though bisharjan is synonymous to bidding farewell to Goddess Durga, the fun that puja brings and the very spirit of the "puja" in Kolkata, it also means "a new beginning"… for even when Durga Puja comes to an end, the festive spirit never dies - and hence we look forward to the next Pujas as we bid farewell with "Aashche bochhor aabar hobe!"
Aankhi Mukherjee,
Calcutta Girls' High School

The last notes…
And the idol was immersed…amidst shouts, cheers and chaotic pandemonium into the waters of Ganga. The sound of the dhak that had once welcomed Maa Durga home, into the hearts of people, now played the last beats of farewell. The numerous garlands of marigold that had once adorned the idol, now lay torn and shredded, on the roads, to be stamped upon by busy shoes. And the pandals….they stood there, empty and abandoned…Only the ghats of Ganga were alive, with celebration, with music, with enthusiasm…all to hide the inevitable feeling of loss that was slowly gripping the hearts of many.

The pure waters of Ganga, played on the ever enlightened face of Maa Durga, seemingly washing away Her last memories of home. The waters of Ganga, also played in the hearts of the Bengalis, as it washed away the last bit of joy and anticipation of Durga Puja from our hearts. After today, everything would become just as usual, usual work, usual routine. Once again the race will begin, for success, for money, for life. Only memories will remain, and Maa Durga's blessings.

When I was young, I remember standing in my veranda, and looking down at the many trucks that used to pass carrying the idols. Seeing Maa Durga ''go away” always made me very angry. I used to wonder, "If Maa Durga must go away, then why does she come to visit us in the first place?" It always seemed to me that Maa Durga was somewhat heartless. Granted, every year she blessed me and kept me healthy and looked after my family, but didn't she realise that Her going away meant that my schools would reopen once again and I would have my horrid exams? Yet, despite my pleadings, Maa Durga always went away. She still goes away…..after all the joy, happiness, excitement, She just leaves us. So why does She come? She comes to give us courage, to give us a reason to forget our troubles and to celebrate wholeheartedly. She is the one reason that we Bengalis hold on to, she is the hope, the anticipation and source of joy, which keeps us going throughout the year. She stays with us only for five days, yet in this period she does miracles. During these five days, friends happen, hearts meet, wishes come true.. And when She goes, She takes away the best part of us with Her….

But can Maa Durga really go away? No, She can't. We immerse the Mother Goddess only to welcome Her back in our hearts, were She is always present, in all Her glory. She is the truth that enlightens our hearts; She is the power that strengthens it and the righteousness that guides all hearts. Thus, even while bidding Her farewell for another year, we all feel within us the power and joy that hope brings, hope that we get from the thought that Maa is always with us, right here in our hearts.
DEBADRITA BHATTACHARYA,
Patha Bhavan

One last look
The gust of chilly wind is once again here. The wind everyone is so familiar with; the one which signals the conclusion of Durga Puja. The deserted pandal with only a 'Mangaldeep' lit at the centre, the vacant, discarded chairs in front of the podium where the Debi Pratima stood tall, all evoke a host of feelings. You can't help but face the fact that Maa has left for her abode at Kailash at the end of the festival. And as you sit so lonely, the darkness shrouding you trying in vain to hide your tears, the image of the Pratima half submerged in water gradually drifting away from the ghat comes alive in your memory. You try hard to shove that image from your mind, you try hard to prove to yourself that you have grown up and you will not feel upset when Dashami approaches like every other year. The ground still tainted with vermilion from the sindur khela, brings back to you the booming voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra reciting, "Ya devi sarvateshu" on Mahalaya dawn, the weird sensation of joy that you felt on hearing the 77-year-old recorded programme, the feeling so overwhelming that it made you jump with excitement like a 5-year-old, feeling so happy at the arrival of Pujo. Images of the Sashti outing with your friends, the grand Ashthami bhoj, the all night pandal-hopping flash through your mind….but you are aware that the books in your bags which remained forgotten for a week, syllabus, routine, all await your attention. So you silence your heart and prepare to follow what your mind tells you. As the Neelkantha spreads its wings and flies towards Kailash with the news of Maa Durga's departure from Mortolok, you take one last glance at the setting sun and tell yourself "Asche bochor abar hobe..."
Angana Chattopadhayay, South Point High School

Adieu Maa...
Durga Puja, the favourite festival of the Bengali makes us feel very nostalgic. The sounds of dhaks and the chanting of mantras on Mahalaya and the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra will never turn old or fade away. Rama was asked by Narada to propitiate Goddess Durga before fighting Ravana. He had to awaken the Goddess and this is known as Bodhon. According to another legend Durga Puja marks the homecoming of Uma to her parents Himavat and Menoka. The Agamani songs mark this and these symbolise a mother's care and love for her married daughter. However this festival mainly signifies the victory of good over evil. The vision of fields strewn with kaash phool make our hearts beat faster. We look forward to Durga Puja with excitement and happiness.

Rural daughters visit their family once a year and their return is marked by the return of Goddess Durga to her mother's house. She stays with us for four days as the daughter of Ganges. It seems as if she is not a lofty deity but a daughter of nature, like us. Slowly the day of her departure dawns and we shed tears of sorrow. The incense-filled morn of Dashami no longer brings the essence of enjoyment and fun. A sombre feeling rises and the ambience turns quiet. Tears brim in our eyes when we see married women putting vermillion on each other. It seems as if Goddess Durga is also weeping. It reminds us of the day when a young girl departed for her in law's house leaving her parents.

The flute plays a sad tune in our hearts and echoes the eternal pangs of separation. We cannot find a concrete definition of this sorrow but feel an ache growing in our hearts. We find there is a feeling of fulfilment stemming from unfulfilment. The tune of sorrow, however deep spreads fulfilment and hope, of having Maa back again next year.
Karabi Das, The Future Foundation School

She will come again
The arrival of Durga Puja makes our hearts beat to the rhythm of the dhaks and bells. People are decked up in dazzling new clothes as they pay homage to the Mother Goddess. We forget all our differences and treat everyone with warmth and love. Even the deprived ones forget their misery for these five days and welcome the arrival of Maa Durga with with joy. After Saptami, Asthami is when the crescendo reaches its peak but on Bijay Dashami suddenly a wave of uncertainty holds us back from enjoyment, overwhelming our hearts with the pangs of separation. The muffled dhaks, the Goddess' face smeared with sindur… Everyone feels a throbbing heart, as tears well up in eyes.

When the idols are loaded onto trucks and make their way to the Ganga, we feel emotional as we chant "Durga Mai Ki Jaye!"

Our hearts are filled with sorrow but we try to make things all right with the thought that She is coming again next year. "Ya Devi Sarbabhuteshu/ Shaktirupena Nasanstitah/ Namastasye, Namastasye Namastasye/ Namo Namah".
Ranajoy Banerjee, Class XI, St Joseph and Mary's School

Abar esho Maa…
Today is Dashami. After staying for four days with her children in her own home, Maa Durga is going back to Kailash. And we will have to wait for a whole year to see Her again. At around 4pm the baran starts. Mothers and grandmothers apply the sindur on Maa's forehead and offer her sweets.

It seems as if tears well up in Maa's eyes, something most women experience when leaving their home for their in-laws.

One can also feel this pain, amidst all the sindur khela, dancing to the beats of the dhak and eating sweets.

We will have to wait for a year to see Maa, to have fun that never loses its charm. It is the most emotional part of the entire Durga puja festival. But the hope we live with to see Maa after one year also teaches us to wait patiently. Bengalis thus live with this hope and bid adieu to Maa Durga with "Abar esho Maa…"
ESHA PANDIT, Bidhannagar Municipal School

Our responsibility
The year long wait for the most awaited festival has come to an end. Today is Bijay Dashami - the day when Maa returns to Kailash, leaving behind the brightest and most colourful memories. It is the day of Bisharjan - the ceremony where enthusiastic adolescents and adults go for the bhashan (immersion ceremony) of Goddess Durga in the Ganges as it is believed She will trace her way back to Kailash through the river.

The main message of this ceremony is demolishing Evil and establishing Good. But the days fly past and Durga Puja comes to an end all too soon. The colours of the festival fade away, the beautiful festive fragrance slowly diffuses and the beats of the dhak fade to an inaudible range even as the long, noisy processions of lorries with the idols of Maa Durga follow one another to the immersion ghats. Curious faces peek out of windows, verandahs and main doors for the last look at our Mother Goddess and her children, her lips wet with sandesh and sindur smeared on Her forehead.

We look forward to next year’s Durga Puja with great eagerness and plan to do everything that we missed this year. We attempt to infuse our day-to-day work with the happiness and satisfaction that have evolved from this festival till the next puja.

Though it is over for this year, let us prepare for the next year and find out how we can share this happiness with the less fortunate in society and who number in millions, and those displaced from their lands, the ones deprived of education and proper health care.
Let’s do something positive for these people so that when the next time our Mother arrives, She finds Her happiness envelops us all.
MRITTIKA BASU, Patha Bhavan
source: the statesman
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