The Pujo of 2013

[Photograph taken by the author in 2009 at Kumartuli, Kolkata]

This:

"Ashwiner Shaarodo Praate,
Beje Uthechhe Aloko Manji."

and then, this:

"Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu Shakti Rupena Samsthita,
Namestasyai Namestasyai Namestasyai Namoh Namah."

Every Bengali child is raised with the training of getting goosebumps upon hearing these words from Mahisasuramardini, especially in the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra. This year, I had no hope of being in Kolkata to celebrate those five days. This was not my first Puja outside India (2011 was the first), but this was the first where I was going to celebrate it so far away from home.

Sorry guys, this particular post IS going to have a lot of reference to few typical Bong cliches (behavioral and cultural) and a good helping of Bengali words regionalism (at times, I might end up sounding like a racist too). So, if you want to stop reading right away, I totally understand.

After a planning of almost a month, a convoy of cars left Lexington on Oct 12, the actual Ashtami, for Dayton, OH. The group was huge (huge) this time - Agni, Ajit, Vachas, Neelabh, Abir, Sananda, Suman, Arup, Arijit, Soumen, Moumita, Ranjan, Deboshree, Asish da, Sukanya di, Supam da, Sharmistha di, Kitu, Kousik da, Arunava, Prabuddha, Arghya and me. Anamitra and Vikas joined us all the way from Detroit, MI.

Anjan Dutta, Kabir Suman, Fossils, Cactus and various other Bengali songs (only Bengali) being played all the way to the pujo mandap. It was past noon when we reached Franklin High School near Dayton to make it to the last round of Pushpanjali. I am still not sure if it is something to be surprised or not but this was my first Pushpanjali in a Durga Puja. Who knew I would finally take part in the tradition not at my para's Purbachal Club or at Bappa da's place, but 8098 more miles away from there.

My usual calendar for Durga Pujas only includes pandal hopping and Biriyani-ing/Egg Roll-ing though out the length and breath of Kolkata for 5 days. But since, the closest Durga Puja from Dayton was more than 50 miles away at Cincinnati, I chose to take the other way many of my friends prefer to enjoy the festival - the 'endless adda at a single mandap' way. Although, my years of hopping habit was still unaltered within me, but that weekend, I sure had added the second way to list my 'ways'. It might come in handy someday, who knows.

There is no ambiguity in the statement that America is probably not the best place to arrange a full fledged flaw free Durga Puja with all the means and resources required, but the race of those insane people called Bengali, arrange for whatever best they can for the annual home coming of Maa. All the five days of pujo are squeezed within two days. Re-usable idols are imported from India. At places, it is held one or two weeks before or after. No matter what is takes, organizing the pujo is a must.

That day, there was like an explosion of traditional clothing and ornamenting everywhere. Men were in there best kurtas and women were in the best of their saaris and jewelries. At a point it had started to feel that probably the Bengali-ness in these people has surpassed the ones back at Kolkata. In Kolkata, pujo has taken some corporate and business colours, but here, it was all about being present there, in body, in mind, in spirit. It is like "I was still there, even if I was thousands of miles away from home that year."

Talking about the spirit, no second opinion says that there is something else present in the entire mandap better than a dhaak to boost and overflow the scale of pujo spirit. There was an interstate dance competition in the evening and to keep telling you the truth, I had loosened my rusty joints (and shed some inhibitions) after six long years (last was in my college fest, 2007, in dark disco lights). After Indiana and Ohio, the entire crowd from Kentucky dived in and everybody was throwing in their best move using their legs, hand, neck and waist... non-stop... and called it dancing. It was literally a gasping-for-breath-ly maddening. Tiring and refreshing at the same time. And it was the sound of the dhaak, that infused the madness in all of us. This dance surely had that same high energy trance effect on everyone present there which one gets during the dhunuchi naach on Navamis. This one was only without the dhunuchis (fire hazard reasons!)

The rest of the night was about more adda, photographs, group photographs, even more adda at dinner, halka jhaari, some PNPC and some more dance (even lungi dance) at a cultural program. Not quite like the 'whole night' programs at Kolkata, but a few of us did live up to the expectation of coming back late to sleep. 

Next day, was for the rituals of Dashami. I had never witnessed almost the complete worshiping process at the Durga Puja (too busy hopping), but when the words "Iti Durga Puja Samaptahh" were said the next day, it was a little heart wrenching. Ladies had now gathered for the debi boron. That clear expressions of merriment, that was there a day ago, was scarce now. After the boron, it was the shidur khela, something that I was looking forward to photograph. The smearing of vermilion on each others faces by the ladies (the married ones) somehow brings back that lost smile and laughter. It is probably that much required joyful end which provides every soul present there with a hope that it is only a year when Maa will come back again. People leave from the festival with an assurance that Aschhe Bochhor Abaar Hobey.

I have absolutely no idea where I would be during the pujo of 2014, but if I be in the vicinity of even a single Durga Puja and I have the spirited people to simply adda out my time in only a single mandap, I wont be able to stop myself!

Till next time,

:)