Festive Halo

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.