Ma Durga Calling

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When the first beats of Drum “ Dhanng… Kur… Kur… Dhang” hits the Indian TV network announcing the arrival of season of Durga puja, a sudden pain spread through my chest – a loss that I cannot recoup. Why do I love to live in my not-so- happy past. Am I, a slave of nostalgia I think there are millions like me who live a life out of memories. But I am grieving more that I cannot walk through these events again in this life – there is only one road that heads north.

Anyway, when I first heard the typical drummer’s beats today, I took a journey into the first date of mine with Goddess Durga and her family. It was a time when I just joined my Kindergarden school and was trying hard to pick up “ A for Apple and B for Bakwass”. Mid sixties.

A street named Shukias Street in northern part of Calcutta had one Srimani’s house – the ancestral city joint for British time Babus who used to entertain the Firengis with dance shows and dramas. The British charm is long lost. But the children of the family still continued with the celebration of the Puja and allowed public to attend. While there were tens of community pujas in every street corners, I will tell you why Srimani’s puja became so special to me.

Srimani’s home was on my route to school. Whenever I passed I could see a white cuckoo with threatening beaks – chained to the hanging stand near the door – she was appearing not at peace with hershelf. But one day I saw through the door, and was surprised to find a few wooden skeletons lined up at the interior of the hall. I enquired Bankim, our house servant - on his routine duty to accompanying me back from school. He , with his rustic mannerism, enjoyed to explain, “ Those are made of straw. Chota Babu! The potters will work day and night for next few days before Panchami ”

“ What is Panchami?” I enquired.

“ On Panchami, - the fifth day you will see those idols covered with clothes. No one will be allowed to see Ma Durga and her chelas till Bodhan on Sasthi. And Sasthi is sixth day and the Purut( i.e Priest) will worship the idol to invoke life into them” That’s how illiterate Bankim explained what he knew about the ritual.. I began to feel more friendly with Bankim as he would answer with great fun to all my queries about Durga and festivity.

For next few days, my kindled interest for Srimani’s house grew further. I used to wait for the walk-down to school to get a glimpse of the busy potters at work on the idols. For the few hours I used to sit at school looked dull - the voices of teachers looked distant as in my mind I continuously used to replay the heroic fight of Durga with Paji Mahishasur and what a fight ! It was fought in the sky!

On the day, the first coat of water color appeared on the idols ,

we two stood for minutes passing into hours – as the potters were bringing life to earthen shapes. I began to feel special interest for the birds and the animals of the God’s parivar. The healthy rat sitting at the foot of Ganesha, the cruel tooth of lion piercing into the flesh of evil Ashura , the bleeding buffalo head that Ma Durga severed to let Ashura come to fight in his own form. It was a great thriller story that would keep me awake into late hours of the night.

Then the Panchami came. School was already declared close for a fortnight. Bankim, the servant was engaged in satisfying orders of all the Babus and Didimonis – so I missed the chance to visit Srimani for the whole day. The elders were too busy with their enjoyments in the locality. However, at last I could convince my Chotka (Youngest Uncle). Sun set early during the Sharad .So, when we approached Sukhia’s Street, suddenly Srimani’s bari ( Shrimani’s House) looked so different – now glowing in a flood of multi-colored electric bulbs that were arranged in various geometric shapes.

The lighting was traditional - I couldn’t rate that then in my first year of knowing Durga - but as I compared the lighting of other community pujas of the city in the following years, I began to grow a sense of looking at the other side of this worship Mahayagya - keeping eyes and ears open to learn from elders chat - which club was drawing bigger crowd and why? I began to learn that it’s not only devotion to Hindu religion alone, but a talent search fare spread beyond many rivers – to decide whose creativity is best on clay or on other metallic work, who brought the newest theme in lighting the approaching roads and the pandals. And who were the best in improvising to create a make-believe world of Taj Mahal, Char Minar or Dakshineshwar’s Kali Temple with just a few thousand bumboos, rashis and decoration clothes.

Anyway, that day I entered Srimani’s bari,for the first time securely holding chotda’s finger fearing the menancing cuckoo royally sitting at the entrance. And who would believe the akchala idols covered in clothes, waiting for Budhon on the next day, had still some bare legs and hands open to everyone’s view – Ganesha and his companion rat looked so real !The same way I began to look at each one of the idols with sheer disbelief and praising those unknown potters who became magicians for me from that day.

[PS: Akchala - its a form of idol designing where all the idols are put in a single master frame. It is the oldest form of worshipping Durga in Bengal

Can you give me the answer : Why Ambaji ( the other name of Durga in Gujarat) is riding a tiger in all idols in Gujarat where currently no tiger is seen . In the same way, why Durga is riding a lion in Bengal where there is no lion.Actually, tigers are at large in Bengal while lions are at large in Gujarat. Was lion living in Bengal and tiger in Gujarat in those early times ? God knows ]

Srimani Bari Sukhia Street