The Bengali’s Durga Puja

Today is Mahalaya. The holy day that starts with taking bath in the Ganges. The day when we rise up at 4 in the morning to hear the Mahalaya in the radio and stare at the television sets at 5am to watch the Mahalaya program, commemorating the coming of Devi Durga to this earth to kill Mahishashur.”Mahishasur Mardini Ma Durga”, as we call it.

The Durga puja occupies a deep sentimental place in the heart of us, the Bengalis. The puja is actually for 4 days from 25th September to 28th September, 2009(Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, Dashami) as per the Bengali calender this year.But the preparation starts long back. We can say that these 4 days in Bengali’s life is dedicated to Ma(the goddess).

It has got a long tradition. It is an event of great grandeur and celebration, all for Ma. I interpret in this way, whatever we do throughout the year is for Ma and during these 4 days we dedicate everything to her. We also enjoy a lot to only please Ma. Ma is happy only when her children are happy. So we must show Ma that we are happy.

The annual festival has got a long tradition. It is show cased in many of our contemporary cinema as well. There is a bit of illustration that you can find in blockbuster movies like “Devdas”. The celebration of Durga puja in olden days indicated power, prosperity, grandeur and prestige of the zaminders and the rich people who used to celebrate this in a very grand way. Today also it is celebrated in many of the rich families as a tradition. It is a time when everybody return to their homes. In Kolkata and West Bengal,in some of the very old families it is still celebrated with a lot of pomp.

But today it is not confined to that .Today it is also a corporate mega show, some of the puja budgets crossing about Rs.1 Crore to even Rs.5 crores or may be more.The Bengali’s in big positions in the corporate world pitch in to get sponsors for their local puja’s in lakhs.Then there are the political heavyweights who are also involved in some of the major pujas.Then there are pujas in apartments. The most important dimension that the puja adds is the involvement of the masses in such a big way in all places be it Kolkata or at the suburban towns or at the distant villages, celebration is everywhere. Even outside West Bengal and even abroad, the Bengalis celebrate it in a very grand way. The footfall in Kolkata of people visiting from one pandal to another during these days crosses crores, similar figures noted at other places as well.

It is a time when even the poorest of the poor is influenced by the Autumnal wind with the smell of the kashful which welcomes mother goddess. Every ones mind is filled with joy with the news of mother goddess Durga coming to this earth with her four children- Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh.

At the end of those four days, Ma again returns back leaving us with tears in our eyes.

However now it is time of celebration. Ma durga is arriving soon and its time to enjoy.
I wish all my fellow Bengalis throughout the world a very happy durga puja.

Sabaike amar Subho Sharodiar Preeti Suvecha o abhinandan.
Baroder amar pronam.
Pujo Sabar Bhalo katuk.

“DURGA MAIKI JAY”

Amitava Banik
Mahalaya,
The 18th September,2009