Prepping for Durga Pujo (the Biggest Festival in Eastern India)

My city, #Kolkata, is gearing up for its biggest festival of the year - the grand #DurgaPuja or the earthly visit of the Mother Goddess aqlong with her children. For the uninitiated, Hinduism deifies #Shakti or Power in the form of the #MotherGoddess Durga. It is believed that She embodies all that is good and pure in the universe, having been created with the combined energies of the Triumvurate of Hindu Gods - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.  

As soon as the monsson recedes and autumn peeps in, #Kolkata starts sprucing up for the much-awaited annual carnival. #Kolkata metamorphosizes from a homely woman into a newly wedded bride during the festival days (a sight that needs to be seen to be believed). Lights twinkling everywhere, people decked up in their best dresses, the hum of music and the beats of the dhaak (a traditional percussion instrument)! And the smiling, eager faces of people.

#DurgaPuja or rather #Pujo, as we call the festival, in the cultural capital of India - #Kolkata, is characterized by these tell-tale signs:

• The unmistakable smell of shiuli and chhatim flowers all around.
• White fluffy clouds in the impossibly bright blue sky (interspersed with spells of torrential rain)
• The kaash phool swaying in the light autumnal breeze (remember the iconic train scene from #PatherPanchali ?) 
  
  

  

  Image: News18

  
  
• Buzzing and throbbing #Kumartuli (our very own sculptors' abode) where the beautiful idols are being breathed into life
• Bamboo poles and structures that will transform into awe-inspiring pandals
• Crowded streets, traffic snarls, busy malls and shopping centtres

Most of all, the heady feeling of expectation and hope for the upcoming festivities, reflected on almost every Calcuttan's face, signals #Pujo.

The Corona demon has dampened human spirits a lot since last year, having extracted huge sacrifices in the form of lives and livelihoods. Recession is a stark reality, lost jobs and businesses the fate of many, the health infrastructure is no better than it was last year, children are fed up of studying online, and looming threat of a thrid wave is still around. How can festivities ignore such realities? These will cast a dark shadow, no doubt. whether in the celebration of the festival, the preparations or in the images depicted in the pandals.

In another ten days, the #GoddessDurga will grace us with her presence, along with her family. Her annual visit on earth is an event to look forward to every year, as we pray to her to deliver us from our troubles. 

But. can we hope for relief from the pain and suffering we ourselves have brought upon us? Can we atone for our devastation of the planet, and the destruction of several life forms? Or rectify the cruel inequalities existing in society? Are we humans when we turn a blind eye to the plight of wretched refugees around the world? Do we qualify to seek the #MotherGoddess's blessings?

I hope we do....and I pray that She accepts us just as a mother accepts her children with all their warts and failings. 

Jaago, Tumi Jaago............

Wishes for a Happy #DurgaPuja!

#DurgaPuja #MotherGoddess #Shakti #Festival #Kolkata