Experience the rural life through silent images

Blog search directory

Here is the link for those who love to have a journey in silence through images of  Bengali Villages.The smell and nostalgia of a village life - the hardship and the joy of community life dance hand in hand.Those away from village wonder how it is to live in a village. We have so much love for the rural land where all our ancestors came from, but we find it hard to connect with it - the medium to connect miss out in the hectic chaotic daily routines of  city life. The crowd and the noise slowly but steadily take us inch by inch away from the land where we are destined to connect if  the human race on earth wish to live a peaceful existence. Here is a link to discover the people in their own attire doing their daily chores. Here the road is not spread with gold, life is often faced with crisis for survival.But I discover the spirit of life and of hope in the innocent neglected faces of rural Bengal - we need to connect to them and embrace them to higher order of happiness and well being. Here is the link to discover Bangla village and through the mirror of Bengal, discover and protect the beauty and sanctity of village life.

http://bengal-socio-financial-study.blogspot.com/2010/10/real-images-of-rural-bengal.html

                                                 A Village with cluster of  mud-huts

                                                   Marriage ceremony in a village

                                                    Mothers toiling to collect drinking water 

                                                  A village fair

The images in the link are not compiled with a distinct order and make you feel the randomness of living - the joy and sudden hardship chasing you. Certain characters find place here to magnify the feel that these great men of Bengal wanted for the humanity especially the toiling masses of rural hinterland. 

Durga Puja : Aasche Bachar Aabar Hobe ! Hip Hip Hurray!!!

Aasche Bachar Aabar Hobe ! Hip Hip Hurray!!! It's Dasami - Vijaya Dasami - the tenth day we children of Ma Durga take her on a farewell journey, after nine days of fun and frolic. As if the smell of the air changes in the October. The roads , the banal roads we travel every day , looks new with excitement. People's usual faces look brighten up. we Bengalis exalt, seeing our mental happiness reflect in the faces of passersby. The roads to Mandaps dress up with lighting and with Welcome Gates. Oh Ma! If there would have been such gaiety for the whole year, the earth would have been such a nicer place to live. Today is Vijaya Dasami - Ma Durga and Her family leaving the children of earth to return to Her Sasural in Himalayas. We are sad. Mother is carried by camel-cart with devotees following her to the Sabarmati River - the place of immersion. Today I don't know why, that dhaki is drumming a melodious tune - perhaps ...perhaps this sojourn might be his last darshan on earth with eternal mother ! Millions of Minds go blank! Dhaki beats the drum for the last hour! A few days of carefree loving attachment with mother and the puja mandap is over ! The fresh air and cheer in the air getting dampened with the dark curtains of evening shadows ....Ma Darga is slowly moving out in a procession away into the street ....the devotees are dancing and following her! The video taken by emerging photographer SM captures that special moment - the nostalgic journey of mother from Puja Mandap to immersion ghat, devotees shouting with sudden hope among all round despair on Ma's leaving us - Aasche Bachar Aabar Hobe! Ma! we will see You Again in the coming Sarat Kal( season of Autumn) ! Aabar Kassh Phool Phutbe Mathe! Aabar Siuli phhol bheja rastai aasbe tumi notun aagomoni gaan niye!![ Again the rural field would get filled with Kash flowers! Again you will return with new Agamani songs on the due soaked rural roads filled with fallen siuli petals]

Devotees line up and touches Ma 's feet before Her family's sojourn to her In-laws home.

The nostalgic moment - the eternal family of ours take Adieu! That's life's cycle - that we devotes would perhaps don't like to repeat. But one day we have to adieu all our near and dear ones !

Video Link Below - The video taken by emerging photographer SM captures that special moment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDmgQ79IJHk

Durga Puja in Gujarat 2011 - the famous Dhunuchi Dance of Bengal

A prayer with incense burning before the Durga Idol, priest's chanting of Vedic hymns, the beats of Dkak ( drum) and Kasor-ghonta. And the devotees offer prayer to Goddess Durga throuch an intricate dance holding dhunuchi ( an earthen pot with a holder) - with half-burnt hot red dried coconut strips. As the dance in trance, other devotes surround the dancers and get immersed in the sea of emotion and love for their eternal Ma, Mother Durga - the Durgatinashini - the slayer of the evil forces from the society.

Video is shot by emerging young photographer SM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1bKF4Gr_QA&feature=related

The sound of dhak on Ashtami eve in Durga Mandap at Ahmedabad

The beats of Dhang-Kur-Kur. Listen to the Dhak( the drums), folk instrumental music of Bengal which goes deep down into the ritualistic tradition of Durga Puja. This decaying clan of dhakis ( the drummers are often called) are on the decline due to economic reason. But a puja is incomplete without Ma Durga listening to the jugol-bandhi beats of dhak and kasor. These dhakis here, came from far flung Bengal, from the district of Medinipore, travelling 3 days on the road to reach the venue. Dhak for Dhaki is an occupation carried through generations but those who carry the tradition carry the passion for the folk music which is clearly evident in this video - coming from the lens of promising emerging photographer SM.



The video link  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68nVI8hAOZA&feature=autoshare

Ahmedabad Durga Puja 2011

Ahmedabad Durga Puja - six days festivity to celebrate the win of the Goddess Durga against Mahisasur , the Devil. The video try to capture an early evening panoromic view of the venue - taken just before the flood of people swarm the place. It slowly turn into a little Bengal where migrant Bengali work force find peace in the comfort of cultural theme based evening programs and the lip sucking veg and non-veg menus that they chance upon.


A slice of life is captured by Siddharth Maitra who captured the essence of  durga puja how celebrated in India away from Bengal. Please click the you tube link below


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVl4883tR8s&feature=autoshare