Merriment Mixed with Lessons

The feature -- "Merriment Mixed with Lessons"

The beating on the drums, the cloudless, azure sky, and the swaying Kash flowers tinged with the mild fragrance of the Shiuli functioning as the harbingers of the greatest festival of Bengal, provide an opportunity to feel the gala moment even more prominently to all and sundry.

Like the previous years, this year too, the eager await for the Durga Puja finally came to an end.

                                                           

It was Mahasasthi, when my maternal aunt came from Burdwan to Uttarpara. On the same day, Granny stepped into the house after some time. Their arrival added more joy to the festive mood. We exclaimed in utmost gladness, “What a pleasant surprise!” That I was stitching the blouses of my Granny can be recalled any time, because it provided me with lots of fun. Apart from that, my absent-mindedness in doing the task while gossiping with two of them proved to give a hilarious consequence. That is to say, the blouses were so much stitched that she was not even able to put her hands through their sleeves. However, being the most pampered one in the entire household, I was not rebuked at all. Actually, Aunty had to stitch those again.

In the evening, Auntie and my parents took me to the nearby pandal, where the deities, the decorations and the worship soothed our hearts. Sitting on the chairs in front of the idols, I tried to feel the divine presence, but just then, my conscience whispered into my ears, “What are you trying to feel outside? The supreme being is here in me.” A few teardrops filled my eyes, so, everything looked hazy. Suddenly, for a few moments, I could keep away all the noises, like of the horns of the rickshaws, the welcome notes made by the organizers to the visitors using the microphones and so on.

The morning of Mahasaptami was filled with some delicious dishes, like luchis and payas made by Mom and Auntie, with the hymns sung by the priest utilizing the same microphone, and the dazzling sunshine. In that evening, we went out to visit the other mondops. Amongst them, Balaka, a century old, created a spectacular atmosphere, where one could feel as if one was in heaven. Even one of the organizers kept on saying, “Mother Durga has come to the earth from her divine abode. Therefore, we have tried to delineate that divinity as much as possible.”

All stood jostling with one another on the day of Mahastami to chant their prayers to the goddess in the early morning, while on Mahanabami, each and every person tried to make the most of it.

At last, Mahadashami, the day to bid adieu arrived. With the note “Asche bochhor abar hobe” (We'll have it next year again), the entire air became rich in vermilion. Yes, it was the moment to feel a kind of sad heartiness, and this pervaded the whole area.

However, it was a perfect time for me that both the relatives came to our house to regale me. Apart from that, we have been brought closer to one another. What is more important is that I learnt the fact that our earthly body nurtures our conscience that is our own God.

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