Ma was here

We long for a year for the Durga Puga’s to come and how time flies when Ma is here. The five days of festivities are over and we are back to our normal routine. What starts out with the ‘Mahalaya’ when we usher in the Goddess to the accompaniment of devotional songs and Vedic Stotra chanting, culminates on Dashmi (the 10th day) when Durga returns to her husband’s place and we symbolically immerse the her idol as a farewell.

Our inseparable link with spirituality and God is best amplified during this season. Durga is welcomed home (earth being her fathers abode) as one welcomes one daughter and worshipped. A huge community expression of the human spirit. We are creative and bold and spendevent we get to bond not only with the God within ourselves but humanity. As an expression of joy or more appropriately ‘Ananda’ and a celebration of human life we spend time feasting, donning new clothes and giving myriad channels to our creativity. There is no place like Kolkata (Calcutta) to see this months planning for and executing the pujas. The saddest part is letting go. For 4 days when we have Ma in our midst we don’t keep a track of time but Dashmi soon looms large. We bid farewell to Ma as we would our loved ones and one has to feel the sadness to believe it.

Music forms an integral part of the celebrations and to my mind that is the best form of offering prayers – the channel that helps you to link up to God. Though ‘baithaks’ or musical congregations are drying up at the pandal level the television is proving to be a great platform. This time was no different and really enjoyed some of the shows that were on telly. The channels that should find special mention are ’24 Ghonta’ and ‘e-TV’. Both of these are regional Bengali satellite channels.

The images that you see in this post are from this year’s (2006) pujas. Hope you enjoy the stunning range of creativity.


Images courtsey - Debopriyo Kar