A typical Durga Puja in its Full Glory
And while talking of Durga Puja how could one not mention the Bengalis? And if someone rather does it then he probably needs to plead guilty to the Goddess herself. Go to any Bengali in any part of the world (Yes!! Anywhere in this world )and ask him what the festival means to him, it would not be surprising if he takes a full Gyan Session for that person !! ( My 2 cent advice therefore would be not ask any bengali about the Durga Puja festival but to Experience it, 1st hand )
Its that time of the year probably for which the Bengalis wait for a full year, starting from the “Asche Bachor Abar Habe” (It (Durga Puja ) will happen next year as well)chanting.
While the waiting time for the Durga Puja Celebrations is 1 full year, the last 1 month to the Pujas are the most exciting. It only needs to be a Bengali to understand the anxiety of those last few days taking to the Puja. And if the Puja celebrations are so dear to them, then indeed they ought to be marked with grandeur. Hence it becomes imperative that the build up to the show is rather exciting with preparations taking almost two months for those 4 days of celebrations.
It’s that time of the year when the preparations for the coming Durga Puja is at its peak. And probably there is no other place better than West Bengal to witness these times. And if I be a little more specific then it has to be Kolkata to evince my point.
I for once happened to go to my home town once in the mean time, which by the way is located almost 900kms away from Kolkata. My home town is an industrial town and houses some of the biggest industrial names today. The population of the township although miniscule when compared to the bigger towns like Jamshedpur, is decently large. However, whatever may be the populace Bengalis form a huge chunk of the population there as well. Indeed this clan probably could be found even at the two poles(The North and the South Pole) in their trademark ‘Monkey Caps’ or that ‘Chikan Shawl’ if there were good means of transport to those places.
Anyways, why I had to mention the above facts is that wherever on earth this clan is present they carry their culture with equal vigour. And it is very evident every year at my place as well. This year therefore isn’t any different. The preparations for the pujas had already started. This year after a long time I had the opportunity to see the initial preparations for the Durga Puja after a long-long time. And a simple look at the initial set up of the pandals, Victoria Memorial was the theme of the pandals, was fodder enough for me to try and taste it once again. But to my bad luck I had to leave my hometown soon after that and I could only carry the excitement with me and keep myself tied to my seat for those final few days looking upto the Puja.
After coming back to my current location from my hometown I only wished that I could make it to the actual celebrations. However as fate would have it I had the opportunity to go to Kolkata meanwhile. What better place to be during the Pujas !! This was the first time in my life that I had an opportunity to see Kolkata up-close during the Puja get up. I had had only heard fantastic stories about how beautiful the city looks during Durga Puja, but never ever had an opportunity to have a 1st hand evidence of the fact. Probably this was the time. I made sure to at least have glance of the city in whatever capacity I could in the few hours of my stay there.
So, I got out of my abode and went to the market side hoping to see a few Pandals in the making. I had also heard that during the Pujas or the get up to the occasion one can find the entire city erupting on the streets. Well, I found it pretty much true. The buses, autos, rickshaws and what not every where people were out shopping to give them the bestest of the looks during the festival. I tried my luck to treat myself with a few goodies. But how come I dared that!! It probably needs only another Kolkatan to be able to shop in those circumstances. The shops indeed crowded heavily and perhaps the shopkeepers saving their creative best for these times. One can find the most fashionable of the dresses in any shop. Definitely Wills life style week was passé. I thought of naming it as the Durga Puja Life Style Month!! That would probably be a good marketing strategy, isn’t it ;-)?
None the less, since I didn’t dare to enter the shops, looking at the crowd, I thought of treating myself with something less, and bought a cotton Kurta from the smaller shops where the crowd was comparatively less. Way back to my place in Kolkata, I could already hear the drum beats, which are so reminiscing of the Puja
The drum beats are unique to the Durga Puja and one can easily make that out because they definitely stand out of the other numerous drum beats one would have heard of !!. The same evening it was time for me to get back to my place from Kolkata. I took the metro train to reach the railways station.
While I waited at the metro station for the train, I was recalling my first encounter with the city during the Pujas and contemplating on the experiences I had the entire day. I could vividly recall the moment when I had seen a Khadim’s advertisement hoarding and had instantly associated it with the local mini buses and the typical Bengali saree, because of the colours that form khadim’s - A Turmeric coloured base and the Red border. The same colour combinations are so very common to many of the sarees that the Bengali housewives would wear during the festival, I thought !!
While I was still engrossed in my thoughts, the metro train arrived and I boarded it. The train took pace in a few minutes and well I was getting a little obsessive now. I needed an opportunity to associate anything with the festival. I was presented with the last such opportunity. The train wheel ramblings resembled the Drum beats that I had talked about. The otherwise nondescript ramblings looked so calming to the ears. But before even the drumbeats err !! the ramblings could end I had reached my destination – from where I had to catch a bus to the railway station.
I took a bus to the railways station, this time unsuccessful in creating any such peculiar associations. Within minutes I was at the station, amidst hundreds of faces, losing my identity as a whole and becoming a part of the crowd in the process. I boarded my train and in no time it was running fast, on its way to some place away from the city of Kolkata. The city was fading away faster and so did the drum beats. After a little blabbering with the co-passengers I slept off, once the train started and the last thing I recall is, Get Up- Get Up Beta(son)!! Aren’t you supposed to get down here?? Your station has come.
But yes I am still waiting for the next 10 days to pass off quickly so that I can once again fell myself for the occasion of the Durga Puja.
By the way if You haven’t experienced this event till now then Don’t forget to experience it This time.Puja starts on the 16th of Oct.
While you gear yourselves for the event do listen to the link below. Would be a boost !!
