Puja Chronicles ...

Blaring microphones belch out songs which have the hallmark of being 'puja' specials ... 'Aamar swapno je, satti holo aj ...' (My dreams have materialised today ...) Three days before the grand event begins (the rituals of worshipping begin on the Saptami- the seventh day in the cycle of the moon which is called Debi pokkho- the fortnight of the mother goddess), the darkness of the evening melts into the lights flattering the grandeur. From slums to multiplexes, there is this unmistakable vibe of celebration. As the deity of the Mother Goddess Durga arrives with those of her supposed children - the yellow skinned Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth),the white skinned Saraswati (the goddess of learning), the elephant-faced Ganesha (the god of prosperity) and Kartik (the god of war) with his chocolate-hero looks-the pandal (the structure temporarily created to house the deities for the festival) is still incomplete. But just the next day, as the morning of Shashti (the sixth day of the cycle of the moon ) dawns, the labourers are packing their stuff. The pandal is complete with its decorations, the festivities are about to begin.        





Image: blooming flowers, Lund, Sweden

Be a Fan