I am fortunate to have had a childhood that was rich with exposure to different religions. When religious, geographical and cultural boundaries transcend and festivals are celebrated by different communities with gaiety and devotion, there is a beautiful, infectious energy in air! I just love to be soaked in that lovely energy, completely!
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| Maa Durga, embodiment of Shakti, (strength) with Ganesha, Saraswati and Laxmi |
Festivals provide amazing interludes from the daily grind and grant us joy of finding hope; which is becoming increasingly rare, in our urban, metropolitan existence that sometimes appears to be nothing but a cruel joke! These interludes are marvelous respite and often introduce me to new spaces of thinking; a delightful wandering that I truly revel.
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| Symbol of victory of good over evil |
One of my favourite festivals is Durga puja. Despite the commercial aspect in festival celebrations; at Durga Puja, the major attraction for me is, witnessing remnants of tradition in form of "Dhunuchi naach" and watching dhakis (drummers) perform their art with great devotion. One more attraction is, of course, indulging in Mishti Doi and other Bengali sweets WITHOUT any iota of guilt!
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Traditional Dunuchi dancer performing his naach and the Dhakis
This year though, I could not go pandal hopping and had to be content with only one visit to Durga Puja. Albeit, I was immensely rewarded by the sheer confluence of varied images of life! I just let my senses fill congruent assortment of interesting hues of life, throbbing at the Puja pandal. There was ethereal beauty to all the chaos that was transpired every moment. So much was happening around that it was like moment to moment horizons reverberating with peaks, interspersed with incantation, creating fascinating splendour! |
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Performers playing different traditional, musical instruments
The newly weds, young couples with newly born babies, middle aged people with children and extended family and friends and even old people, all connected in their earnest prayers and requests, in some divine way, rejoicing in worship. It was a treat watching women flaunting their traditional family heirlooms! |
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| A Dhaki, in his traditional, vibrant attire |
I had to struggle to take photographs as there was so much crowd that many times I even got pushed but considering all the fun I had at the Puja and the mishti, it was worth it. When I returned, there was flood of positive feelings. All the chaos I had witnessed at the Puja had somehow transformed into euphonic whole and I was at complete peace with myself.
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| Dhaki, playing with religious fervour |
