With the advent of Durga Puja, Bengalis in Kolkata – and elsewhere – go berserk with joy. The fever and frenzy of Puja grip the city. A month or two before the festival, Gariahat, Hatibagan, and New Market markets are choked with women. The local clubs start promoting the theme of the puja pandals. The shopping malls are inundated with discount offers on clothing and apparel. Here’s a report by Souma on the Durga Puja special feature, exclusively for Different Truths.
India debates gender equality and women empowerment even though Hindu mythology portrays women’s power as demolishing evil. We celebrate the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahisasura – the evil, every year with renewed enthusiasm.
Kolkata has become the melting pot of celebrations. A month or two before the festival, Gariahat, Hatibagan and New Market markets are choked with women. The local clubs start promoting the theme of the puja pandals. The monsoons leave, ending the misery of the deluge on the streets of Kolkata. The sun shines brighter, and amidst high rises, you find the woollen strips of white clouds scattered all over the sky. The grass of Maidan reaches knee height and the Victoria Memorial, overlooking the Maidan, looks resplendent against the blue sky.
The shopping malls are inundated with discount offers on clothing and apparel. The new clothes ring the advent of Goddess Durga. There are long queues in front of billing counters and occupied trial rooms, spirited kids play all around the shop floor, and women display similar branded bags sold at unbelievable prices.
The work of under-constructed roads, underpasses, and flyovers is sped up to meet the festival deadline. The temporary diversions make traffic pathetic. Bamboo structures have encroached the shortcut roads, lanes, and bye-lanes. The structures grow more significant day by day. Thousands of Durga idols line up by the banks of the Hooghly River in Kumartuli, and several photographers visit Kumartuli to capture the artists’ final touches.
Crores of transactions take place in Burrabazar. The roadside designer saree shops near MG Road display their best products on mannequins. Advertisement boards line up the roadside. Sergeants of Kolkata Police are on their toes to ease out traffic. The traffic snarl swells, and driving becomes hectic. The movement of traffic is almost restricted. Auto drivers double the fare for taking the extended cut to avoid traffic snarls.
Each square inch on or beside the roads becomes invaluable.
Kolkata gets soaked in the autumn festivities. People start with the Viswakarma puja and Ganesh Chaturthi as if to rehearse for the upcoming Durga Puja.
With Mahalaya, you find government offices half empty. People flock to the streets in groups. The ladies display their couture – saree, dresses, bangles and jewellery. A day later, people start pandal hopping at night. The crowd expands exponentially, and even walking on the streets seems impossible.
With Sasthi (sixth day), the rituals start. Goddess Durga stays for five days, and she is carried away for immersion on the final day. Her stay is for a short time, but the preparations are vast and fathomless. The substantial bamboo structures and the idols all vanished after these five days. So much time and money on them, but everything finally bites the dust. But Kolkata won’t stop. She will rise again. She will prepare for Diwali and Kaali Puja – the festival of lights, not to forget the Jagadhatri Puja, a day after Bhai Phota. These keep her spirit alive forever. Next year Kolkata will welcome the Goddess even with more extraordinary grandeur.
Picture adapted from Pinterest.
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