Pujo Holiday for Ma Durga and Family

Pujo Holiday for Ma Durga & family….

A Bengali is not a Bengali if the annual ritual of Durga Pujo does not affect him / her so much that everything else takes a back seat during those five days – such is the profoundness of the event! I am no exception and more so, because we perform family Durga Pujo every year at our ancestral home.

The preparation for the event starts quite well as this puja is quite elaborate in scale and Ma Durga comes to visit us with her whole family. As she can manage only once a year, all members demand their due share of attention!

Back home, the days used to be fun filled as everyone tried to take few days off and descend at our place making the event a huge get – together for all cousins, aunts, and uncles and so on. The evenings used to be adventurous as we kids would set out for Pratima Darshan to the neighbouring areas holding each other’s hands negotiating our ways through the darkness with the help of one single torch light of my dad – without any senior supervising us! What freedom!   Occasionally, we   would act as messengers of ‘love letters’ of seniors as love bloomed in every corner of the dark alleys of the village – some for real and some for the fun of it!

Then we reached the dangerous phase of adolescence and were inevitably bitten by the ‘love-bug’. As many things are forgotten and forgiven during those five days in honour of Ma Durga, everyone seems to be taking an advantage of the occasion. I was proposed by my next –door neighbor during one of such puja days and I finally considered myself a ‘girl of sweet sixteen’. Whether I accepted his proposal or not is besides the point – Durga Pujo was not the occasion to break any young heart and nobody would take it as offence if any of the promises made during those few days were not honored. So……..

Even though I was eldest in the family, nobody trusted me ever with any of Pujo responsibilities as I was known to be the most forgetful and unorganized variety. I have still not been able to claim for myself some responsibility even after I became a responsible Mum and wife as Suparno and my children also believe the same way. What a pity! People might think but I enjoy my position immensely as I get unlimited opportunity to wander around aimlessly gossiping my heart out with friends, neighbors (actually anybody and everybody). What fun!!  Especially when the Pujo is such a regimented and highly disciplined affair at my home under my father’s supervision. While everyone else (the responsibility holders) shivers in the morning chill (wake up time 3 am in morning strictly), I keep on snoring off to glory till the sun is up and high! In a hurry, during the morning pujo, I barely manage to drape around me a green saree with red blouse but who cares!

Pujo, for me, is associated with a mixed bag of winnings and losses……

 Just before puja on one particular year, we lost our dearest elder cousin and she took away all the shine of Durga Pujo with her permanently. She used to arrive with her full contingent (husband, two children, and few relatives from her in-laws side) in four rickshaws with full load of choicest of sweets from the town and the best dress that we kids ever had during those years would be gift from her!   While we were still trying really hard to get over this tragedy and move on, tragedy struck us again. We lost our second dearest cousin brother in an accident, again just before Pujo!

…… we have not quite forgiven Ma Durga for stealing these two precious jewels from us and we never will. Are you listening, Ma? 

In one of these years, I fell in love for the first time truly and deeply and the very thought of spending one full month without meeting him (in my state of Bengal, the puja holiday is for a month) was more than enough to make the Pujo dull and devoid of any fun. I realized for the first time that such long holiday was totally wastage of time and hence unwarranted! Ma Durga might have smiled sitting on her high pedestal.

. …. And after precisely three years, I was defeated in love for the first time just before the start of puja holiday and cried my heart out in front Her. The thought of going back to the same place so full of memories were so terrifying that I pleaded frantically to extend her stay so that I got some more time to come to terms with the reality! …….. She might have smiled again at me looking at my naivety.   

And that I remained patient throughout while She was busy putting up some plans for me, I was rewarded more than adequately – I discovered a real gem in an unseemingly situation in the shape and form of Suparno, after long seven years, again before Durga Pujo! I declared an all-out war of words with Her that she dared not give him to someone else…..  She did not dare!

I keep on nagging her throughout the year with so many demands – some trivial, some serious, sometimes lovingly, sometimes with threatening, without forgetting that She has crores to attend to! Well, so far she has responded to most of my demands even though, sometimes with huge lag. ….

She has filled my world in every possible way (sometimes with something I never even demanded and I take them as bonus for being such a loyal devotee – I have never gone to Anyone else without her permission , except Her mighty Husband , Lord Shiva once) but yes, different demand has different price tag and those are non-negotiable. The debits and credits are settled once a year during pujo. The prices have been fixed by me entirely at my discretion and whether the demand is trivial or serious is also decided by me. In these days of competition, devotees also have choice, you know and She has no option but to accept. Can she let go such a loyal devotee? She dares not!     

Every year, without fail, She sends indication that she has already started packing for her annual vacation up there in her heavenly abode even when the pujo may be a good 1 ½ months away! Suddenly, the sun softens His fierce glow as if to welcome her, the air becomes heavy with scent of “shiuli” and I can actually see her eager face through the clear sky! As it is mythological that She comes to visit her parents for four days during pujo, she strikes a chord with all married girls instantly.

….. at this precise moment, I am only remembering my parents, relatives, friends neighbors back home and actually weeping that I will not be able to go this year. Even though along with few of our Bengali friends, we have made elaborate plans to celebrate Durga pujo here, I am going to miss her all these days!

Since I could not make it this year and I will miss you so badly, would it be possible for you Ma Durga to come over to Dubai for four days? It will be great change for you as well. I see no problem as your children do not have school and you are not doing yours Masters in Applied Finance. Do you think it will be difficult for your Husband to manage leave for four days when He actually does not hold a portfolio of “Internal Audit” in any MNC up there in heaven? He actually does not have anything substantial to do except sniffing to Ganja the entire day! I will manage few tickets in Emirates Airlines as I have friends there and book Marhaba Services for assisting you in Immigration clearance. I am sure, Mahishasur will have to go for ‘eye scanning’ at the airport as he looks dangerous but Marhaba people will be able to take care of that issue. The only problem may be your Husband’s habit of sniffing to objectionable things as the law is quite strict in Dubai on narcotics. Please plead with Him to check in a ‘rehab center’ before pujo.

I would love to wait at the ‘Meet and Greet’ section at the arrival lounge and don’t worry, we have a seven seated Nissan patrol so you all will be comfortable. The beach in front is alluring under the much softer sun, in case you or daughters want a natural tan.

….. please don’t say ‘No’  Ma as I don’t know how to say ‘Thank You’ for all you do for me when I will not get a chance to stand in front of you this year!!