The frenzy begins

C OME October, come autumn time… The harsh relentless summer is long gone, the wet monsoon season is almost over. The sky has begun changing colour from dusky angry grey to a brilliant blue, with puffs of white clouds like cotton candy balls you could almost pick off the sky! The paddy fields are well-nourished by ample rainwater and acres of ‘kaash phooler khet’ are a sight worth a million bucks. And with each passing week, there is a soft glow of the sun, mellow heat, gusty wind, a little less rain each day and little more winter in the air. With the wind comes the sound of the dhaak. Faint at first, it then picks up momentum and impetus as the time narrows down for the five glorious days of Durga Puja.The Goddess with her four children visits Earth, her father’s home every year from spouse Lord Shiva’s home in the Himalayas. So the legend goes. Mahishashura Mardini, slayer of the demon, and saviour of mankind. Mother Goddess. The much awaited festival for the Bengalis.A month or so ago, the sculptors of Kumartuli gather the special clay from the Ganges to make the idols. And then the idols of Goddess begin to take shape from formless mud and clay. Like a woman born out of nothing. Born and re-born, in each one of them, in womanhood, in marriage, in childbirth. Colour, drapes, jewels… Mother of Earth.Soon, road blocks start as pandals are created, in the shape of ornamental homes for Her. We welcome the Goddess to Earth, her father’s home. Puja shopping begins, traffic increases like a high tide, with endless rivers of cars, buses, trams. Shopping is in full swing and with it “chanda collection”.It’s just a matter of time now, and the five days that ring in endless festivity. It actually starts with Mahalaya, homage to the Goddess and the festival holidays in schools. The face of the Goddess is kept covered till the sixth day, or ‘shasthi’. And then the mad frenzy begins. It’s more than a religious fervour ~ it’s the joy of celebration. An occasion for all to celebrate from morn till midnight. The next four days are filled with grandeur. The sound of the dhaaks take a deafening pitch.Acrid smoke from the yagna fill the air, incredible lighting arrangements adorn the streets and side lanes, the bright colourful lights, medley of sounds and scents create an ambience, unheard of anywhere else in the world.Happy faces. Shining eyes. New clothes everyday. The crowded streets chock-a-block with exuberant people filled with pride, with love, with fervour.The dhaaks beat relentlessly, echoing the sentiments associated with the most awaited festival of the year. “Ashtami’r anjali”, the spiritual fragrance of the “dhoop”, the gorgeous clothes, the pretty young damsels checking out kartiks in the crowd, the blossoming romance at Maddox Square, the “sindur khela”, the “ashchey bochhor aabar hobe”, all are unforgettable and unique.On the tenth day the curtains fall, the Goddess has to return. After the final rituals bid Her adieu, the idol is immersed in the River Ganges. Like Sati, She melts into the river. The drumbeats die out. Silenced for another whole year. In the City of Joy. So, while the frenzy has just begun, here’s wishing you all a very happy puja. Enjoy!
Abhishikta Chakraborty,
Class XI, St John’s Diocesan School
source: thestatesman