My latest today.Do check out...
After the much awaited shower of celebration of the biggest and grandest event of Bengal, perhaps the most in terms of grandeur after the big fat wedding in a Bengali community; the festivities go on a hibernation and we return to normal life. Finding monotonicity (is there such a word even?!!!) or mundane in life isn't hard. The normalcy brings non-uniform chaos back. The heart longs for the festivities to continue but reality... et tu...Brute... The perspiration of months, labour of thousands and awe of perhaps lakhs of people captured through the lens of seven days immersed in water; maintaining the true tradition. Taking into account the transportation cost for ferrying passengers from one place to another during these days, the puja industry is a billion dollar business. An estimated flow of 200 crores of rupees, the majestic welcome ceremony of the most holistic hero (let's not be gender sensitive now, shall we?) perhaps puts to shame the Vikings returning from a raid or a Greco-Roman welcoming ceremony of their bountiful chieftains.
So much is the fervour that neither the rains could dampen the moods nor the deaths of several hundreds of villagers in the adjacent city due to flood captured a brief moment of silence. We strived through waves of people to face the deity and admire the brains and sweat of the management; while thousands on the other side of the light climbed high rocks to save their lives. But lets not get into that and dampen the after-taste of the Pujas. The city lighted up and here I am not just talking about Kolkata (Which many outsider think is the only place in Bengal!!!) but the whole of Bengal. Foods were not just eating but indulging and everyone was pocket happy regardless of incidents that shook the world or the homes of near and far. While some chose to go pandal hopping with loved ones, some chose to give adda with the friends. Huh! the effervescent Bengali.
New thoughts were made on several cases regarding the celebrations; like crowd control which spilled from here to there, last year; and this year also. The preservation of the most unique, elaborate or nicely themed and organised Puja is in talks. Oh! And while we are on the topic, did you check Badamtal Puja committee's Puja these year. Today's The Telegraph has a picture and an article on it. Nicely done theme of 'DREAM'. Awesome sculpting, I must say. Some organizers gave free clothes to the needy some homes to street children while few visited old-aged homes to distribute sweets. That's the spirit I cheer to. If this be the celebration of light let every home be lightened, if this be the celebration of happiness let every face have a drop of happiness hanging from their face.
After all defeating all the odds to come to a sustained and peaceful life where everyone existed in harmony was the motto of the Goddess we dedicate our prayer to then winning the hearts of few people through brightly lit pandals should not be the aim. Neither winning prizes be our main goals. But winning the hearts and smiles of those unprivileged by fate or society is showing the true honour of the eternal Mother. Ma Durga. That's when we can embrace each other and say we have conquered all evils; foreign or domestic. That's when we can say Subho Bijaya.
Keep reading....
After the much awaited shower of celebration of the biggest and grandest event of Bengal, perhaps the most in terms of grandeur after the big fat wedding in a Bengali community; the festivities go on a hibernation and we return to normal life. Finding monotonicity (is there such a word even?!!!) or mundane in life isn't hard. The normalcy brings non-uniform chaos back. The heart longs for the festivities to continue but reality... et tu...Brute... The perspiration of months, labour of thousands and awe of perhaps lakhs of people captured through the lens of seven days immersed in water; maintaining the true tradition. Taking into account the transportation cost for ferrying passengers from one place to another during these days, the puja industry is a billion dollar business. An estimated flow of 200 crores of rupees, the majestic welcome ceremony of the most holistic hero (let's not be gender sensitive now, shall we?) perhaps puts to shame the Vikings returning from a raid or a Greco-Roman welcoming ceremony of their bountiful chieftains.
So much is the fervour that neither the rains could dampen the moods nor the deaths of several hundreds of villagers in the adjacent city due to flood captured a brief moment of silence. We strived through waves of people to face the deity and admire the brains and sweat of the management; while thousands on the other side of the light climbed high rocks to save their lives. But lets not get into that and dampen the after-taste of the Pujas. The city lighted up and here I am not just talking about Kolkata (Which many outsider think is the only place in Bengal!!!) but the whole of Bengal. Foods were not just eating but indulging and everyone was pocket happy regardless of incidents that shook the world or the homes of near and far. While some chose to go pandal hopping with loved ones, some chose to give adda with the friends. Huh! the effervescent Bengali.
New thoughts were made on several cases regarding the celebrations; like crowd control which spilled from here to there, last year; and this year also. The preservation of the most unique, elaborate or nicely themed and organised Puja is in talks. Oh! And while we are on the topic, did you check Badamtal Puja committee's Puja these year. Today's The Telegraph has a picture and an article on it. Nicely done theme of 'DREAM'. Awesome sculpting, I must say. Some organizers gave free clothes to the needy some homes to street children while few visited old-aged homes to distribute sweets. That's the spirit I cheer to. If this be the celebration of light let every home be lightened, if this be the celebration of happiness let every face have a drop of happiness hanging from their face.
After all defeating all the odds to come to a sustained and peaceful life where everyone existed in harmony was the motto of the Goddess we dedicate our prayer to then winning the hearts of few people through brightly lit pandals should not be the aim. Neither winning prizes be our main goals. But winning the hearts and smiles of those unprivileged by fate or society is showing the true honour of the eternal Mother. Ma Durga. That's when we can embrace each other and say we have conquered all evils; foreign or domestic. That's when we can say Subho Bijaya.
Keep reading....
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