GOING DOWN MEMORY LANE.....with a heavy heart !!

Here she comes...mommy dearest! Somewhere this festival has become a part of the bengali culture,a part which every bengali household keeps waiting for all through out the year! I too, m no exception.So literally m pretty much upset this year for not being able to witness the grandeur of this fest since m out of home,out of my home town, in a land where there's very little significance of this festival,where the prime focus of a fest has been restricted only to college fests? party squares? weekend outings? Urbanization they say!

Day dreaming has become a part of my solitude this days,going back to my school days,waiting eagerly for the puja holidays.The shopping spree in full swing months before the advent of the puja holidays.Actually the excitement begins from the month of september. Witnessing the creation of the idols at the bhashon pal (much like kumortuli of kolkata), the first instalment of the kathamo,the clay structure,giving it a form..then comes the colour base,covering the clay models with bejewelled saris,paper work ornaments.And then few days after the Vishwakarma puja,comes the invoking of the goddess,MAHALAYA!

Getting up early morning,listening to the agomoni songs,watching the MAHISHASUR MARDINI program on tv.By this time the pandal work begins in full swing..and i m talking of an age when theme puja has not yet been started,so it was just a simple hugely structured pandal with decorating interiors with a huge chandelier,colourful canvas and a broader base where the 5 idols will be brought on the 5th day (panchami) starting from Mahalaya.

Colourful markets,bazars,stalls,roads and shops packed with men,women,children alike. Loading of the idols on the trucks on panchami,going to their destined pandals, where they'll be worshiped for 5 days,and again loading them on the same trucks on the 5th day taking them to the brahmaputra ghat where they'll be immersed one after another bringing at end to the much talked about,much celebrated festival of the bengalis DURGA PUJA! I will miss a part of my life this year. A part i m so used to,since my birth.Will miss the moments i have cherished all through my life..the last moment shopping,pandal hopping,eating outs,night outs,watching all the rituals associated with it..the sound of the drums,the blaring music from the loud speakers,the morning anjoli,pujor bhog,arati,bisorjon er pala and of course my sister,specially this time of the year when we both go crazy!!....everything...just about everything!...hopes alive mommy! hopefully,next year ! Amen!