West Bengal clearly outdoes itself during their feast of Durga Puja. There are many exquisite pandals for the communal congregation, housing the regal goddess. During the five days of Durga Puja many rejoice and invite their family and friends to their homes for some jolly feasting!
Being born and brought up in Delhi NCR, Dussehra to me always meant the last day of Ramlila which ends with great fanfare and festivity with a massive Ravan Dahan (burning of an effigy of Ravana). But my Kolkata born and brought up parents always told me about the Durga Puja celebrations of Kolkata.
Under the azure autumn sky, amidst the amorous cascades of prancing clouds and swaying ‘kash’, rises the reverberating hum of worship of the warrior goddess— Durga. A daughter has returned home, triumphant. Her worship is a heedy amalgam of indiscriminating joy, creativity, love and unbarred popular participation.
I can not make a claim to say that my family started the Durga puja in Taunggyi but unofficially our house became the hub of all action. The feverish activity starts from Panchami when everyone joins in to get the finished Pratima (idol) to the mandap.
Before Durga puja arrives, my family and I go for a stroll in the supermarket to buy new clothes. However, the crowds in the supermarket make me feel claustrophobic, so I prefer buying clothes online. But, sometimes readymade clothes don’t fit and tailors don’t accept orders by the time we realise that, so our trust lies in safety pins.
Kumortuli, a beautiful place situated in Sovabajar, North Kolkata, is home to the thousand sculpture artists, and a very favorite place of Photographers, especially before Durga Puja. The place is often called “The birthplace of Gods” because this is the biggest area where Durga idols are made in West Bengal.
Now the pandals are ready and the atmosphere festive and kinetic. The city is abuzz with excitement about the myriad themed installations that house Maa Durga (goddess Durga) who will grace the city for a few days before returning to her heavenly abode.
The ritual of idol immersion has turned into an environmental hazard.
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