We wait and we wait, after 360 days comes the day...those 5 days when we go mad, people around us be as its their last 5 days.
Bengalis are famous for its festivals, and one of them, just not one of them, the largest is Durga Puja, and very obviously.
Today mahalaya acts as an early calling of durga puja, something which tells us “party starts in just another week”…
When we were even kid mahalaya meant 4am, mahalaya meant all india radio, mahalaya meant Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s voice, good old days, good old memories.
Dida used to say, “ Aj Maa’er chokkhu daan ’’, meant nothing to me back then, actually never understood what she meant. But now when I know what “ Chokkhu daan ’’ means, mahalaya’s importance raised a lot for me.
On the day of mahalaya people reach to different Ghats around the city, mainly Princep and Sova bazaar ghat for performing the ritual of “ Tarpan ’’.
We talk about shoshti’s “kola bou snan ’’
We have heard stories from our seniors about the same.
It is a ritual where we are supposed to rise in the wee hours, take the “ kola bou ” to the nearest water body, Ganges preferably, bathe her, and have fun doing it. I personally like that part. The City looks so beautiful during the Pujo and mainly the early mornings. The fresh air, the smell of wet soil is just amazing.
Mahashthami’s anjali is bengali’s all-time favourite has lost some shine at some point. It is the most romantic moment. Anjali with my beloved meant a lot. Anjali means the best panjabi, the best sari. Anjali is…. ANJALI… if u know at I mean.
Talking about SANDHIPUJA & DHUNUCHI NACH of mahanabami, it is my day of showing my exceptional talent of dancing like I will die in minutes.
The Sandhipuja happens in the first hour of nabami, shifting of baton takes place. Ashtami ends with a high, a literal one while nabami takes over, these days do we even check our time, do we even anticipate this change of baton. Do we even celebrate? No we don’t. Its just partying. Well what else do we want right other than partying, right ?
Mahadashami is a sad day for me. Not only me for all. And then the bhashan. Dancing with the procession, the fireworks, journey to the ganges is of immense fun. Hopefully bhashan has stayed the way it is, or has it? Nowadays it more like the last day to party.
Its about celebrating durga puja, not any 5 days of no work and only play. Its not only about long drives, high heads, loud music, coffee shops, dance floors, dinner at X. All of this can stay but not only this, durga pujo only becomes grand with the bangaliana tag intact. we don’t know how to resurrect the situation, therefore the mathematics of my emotions say the wait is better. The counting of days, or rather the countdown, the shopping, the planning, the kashphul, the smell in the air. And as those 5 days go by we start preparing.. not to work but to start waiting, again.
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