Recursive celebration leaves behind insignificant memories of
ample significance to be relished in future. Those were junior school days. The first
high-hill shoes gifted the year we traveled to
Kashmir during the Puja vacation is very vivid in mind. The blood red
platform shoe that boosted height by two inches, slept by me for a few nights. That was innocent belonging-ness. The.The
flowing 'Diana-gown', which Rini wore on
the Astami night the year Diana got
married to Prince Charles, was the first taste of what is call trend. The dance
drama that was hosted in the community club during one such Panchami evening was the first
public performance. Shampa Kakima and
her husband organized the cultural program. Photography was just turning colorful those days.They were a few small happenings
but great memories on the album. Each photo had a story beyond faces and names.
As youth engulfed, Durga Puja was a window to make new
friends, catch up or occasionally iron out differences with old ones and become best friends. It was a freedom time. Special
edition of popular magazines made its way to the reading table. Munnu’s father had a gramophone record
player. Growing years visited their place to hear new songs released by HMV on
such puja evenings. Small town was also flourishing and adopting new ways of
community life. We swamped in the richness of time. Hopped pandal to pandal in
Mark II Ambassador cars, tasted unbound roadside food and made social connect
more than usual. Many such connects matured over years to relations with a purpose.
Life moves on and we move along. Many roads pursued, many flyovers built, many identities changed. Its twenty years since I first witnessed the city of joy decking up for the celebration. Several years now
have seen the festive quotient rise and wave out with Durga Puja. Today the city had more cars than its designed for. I fail to name all models and Ambassador is history. So had been the transformation of celebration. Para Puja,
big budget puja, theme puja, green puja, celebrity puja, apartment
complex puja… they are all means to bundle the community joy on the ground that
the goddess creates for five days at a stretch. Home coming of goddess is always
heartwarming. Each home has more than one problem to solve within the four
walls; however the enlightenment, levels all the pains for the sake of
celebration. In the midst of overrated
and branded world of change, her persistent beauty comes forth to show not all
needs to change.
The alert message pops up. Friends keep sharing digital copy of goddesses being worshiped across all longitudes and latitudes. A few
took vacation, images of snow clad Switzerland and sand smudged Rajasthan
all unite in the smart phone picture folder. In less than two decades the world has
become very close, courtesy technology. The omnipresent world is moving with
you and waiting for your click. Rini’s
new profile picture with Sindoor all
over her forehead proclaimed they have celebrated Dashami in US last
weekend. She is still so trendy. Shampa Kakima is beyond all time zones. Fairly
recall her tender hand holding. Munnu is a happy home-maker. Her vocal presentation on Saptami nights' cultural evening this year got super likes on the virtual album.
The Dhaki's took a break, as the Sandhi Puja just got over.. The Nabami crawled in quite fast. Another year-long wait for the clock to tick
the mega celebration for Bengali’s will begin soon. In the world where we are
alone in virtual crowd she comes forth to show the beauty of togetherness. The chorus
in the air – “Ashe bochor abar hobe!!”,
keeps behind the truth of yester moments and evokes promises for tomorrow.