Every year Durga Pujo comes and brings with it a fair share
of heartache. The pain of staying away from home, from my parents, family,
friends (most of them), and those lanes of my para (locality) which carries millions of memories. But this year
the heartache was lot less. Because this year, we brought a piece of our home
to Bangalore. The idea was hatched in our living rooms, and within a span of
few months it slowly took its wings and was transformed into a beautiful
reality called Harmony Mahotsav.
All these years I have grown up seeing the elders in my neighbourhood,
do all the pujo arrangements. We would be mere spectators, watching all the
grand arrangements be done for the almighty Mother Goddess. So to me, Ma Durga was
the diva goddess who wanted her devotees to flawlessly carry on all her
rituals. But this year as 12-13 inexperienced families came forward to welcome
Goddess Durga home, she effortlessly slipped into being the daughter-next-door
and was quick in forgiving our numerous faux pas. While I will not remember
many of my old pujos back home, I will never forget the joy I felt, as we
ladies sat together picking flowers, arranging 108 diyas and lotus flowers for
Sandhi pujo, cutting fruits for bhog, making noibadya, preparing bhog for Ma with my own hands. It is difficult
to explain this feeling. It is a strange feeling of fulfilment only Ma Durga
can bestow on us.
While I should thank a lot of people, I don’t want to say it
loud here, in the apprehension of missing out anyone unknowingly. But one person I cannot miss thanking is
Dhriti di, for giving me the chance to do my little bit, knowing very well that
I will not be available always (thanks to office and Mr Toddler).
On a parting note, it felt refreshing to welcome Ma as a
family member rather than the devi who is shrouded by religious fanaticism. Eibhabei nijer hoe esho protyek bocchor Ma...
