Kolkata Pujo has always been an event by itself and specially our pujo at Lake Gardens East Association. Sadly this year I am missing it for a straight 3rd time. Life today has become a trade off and for a person like me, who hate to trade of pujor chutti with anything else previously; is trading off with it today. Blame it on job commitment, laziness or the distance, there is actually no excuse for missing it.
Today, is Shoshti and in this afternoon, when I would have been in Kolkata, deciding what to wear and when to go to the pandal to have a glimse of Maa Durga, sit back in my Bangalore home, look out to the gloomy weather and write this nostalgic piece of revisiting Durga pujo back in Kolkata and specially our para pujo in Lakegardens.
For the convenience of people not knowing me, we donot stay in Lakegardens any more and that is since we left the place in the year 1985, our heart and mind still stays there during pujo. Lake Garden East Association pujo started way back in 1978, with a handful of people in the para. Unlike other community pujo in Kolkata, where stress is given to decoration, protima (idol) and competition, we are a class apart. In my own words I describe it as Ghorwa Pujo, where we resemble as One Big Family and theme of the pujo has been “Adda” “Cultural Program” & “Khaowa Dawa” with special care to safe guard the authenticity of the pujo, which more often gets diluted or becomes a mere obligation for most of the pujo.
The preparation of our pujo use to start a month and a half before, where all planning were done, and events laid out and execution started. I miss those childhood memories of “Reharsal” for plays, singing practice for Mahalaya, and all other co ordinations. The actual celebration started with Mahalaya, were we used to have “Probhat Phera”, men in Kurtas and women in traditional saree (red & white) sang all through the locality and welcome the goddesses Durga. And like all Bengali events food was an integral part, Luchi / Kachuri with Cholar Dal and Jelebi was a great take away for me as kid who got up at 5AM donned in white kurta to participate in the event with my not so pleasant signing voice. I am sure it was for most of us!! Talking about Mahalaya, it would have been incomplete without giving credits to 2 people I get reminded of Sukumar Jetu with his Khol, and Gautam Kaku with his Mandoline.
The pujo use to start with Shubho Shasthi, were we all assembled at the pandal and the Maa Durga was unveiled and established for pujo. As a child then, shosti was special, because we used to have Magic Show, which still continues with the same magician. Remember those days, when I was always the first person, to volunteer for being the helper of the magician. As I grew up, interest changed, and then Shasti was exciting because we use to decorate the idol at night with her Abhushan and Ashtra Shastra. This would run till late night and then wake up (mostly not sleep at all ) at 4AM to board the lorry to go for “Kola Bou Snaan” to the ganges. It was an exciting trip.
As kids, pujo was more of Gun fights with kids of adjoining complexes and neighborhood and collecting pocket money from elders to buy ammunitions for our toy pistols or sipping onto pepsi sticks and potato wafers. Childrens of Adhunika I remember were our biggest gun fight enemy, and we had a rocking time defeating them.
As we grew up Saptami Ashatami Nabami… were exciting in the day with the pujo, and the fasting we used to practice before the pushpanjali, then hogging on to junk food available with the neighboring grocery store better known as “Bikash da’r Dokan” and who can forget his levels of wisdom and analysis he used to part “free of cost” with every product purchased from his shop. The shop still remains, but he does not. We miss you Bikashda, and may your soul rest in peace.
Afternoon was “Khawa Dawa” the special bhog for all residents of the locality and their guests. Saptami was Khichuri, Beguni, Labrar Torkari, Chutney and Papad. Ashtami was special bhog. Pulao Bhog instead of khichuri. Nabomi, was non vegetarian, decades back, but now with people and inflation, it is Rice Dal Shukto Vegetable and Dhokar Dalna now!! I donot remember eating at home during these 5 days of pujo. I miss them and the taste still lingers leaving me salivated while I type these words.
Evenings of Pujo were a mostly cultural program. Saptami with girls and women of our locality performing, Ashtami, kids performing a play, I was a party to this during my childhood, and during this time we delivered some great plays and enacted some beautiful short stories like “Dakghar”, “Pagla Dasu” “Mahesh” etc which are still fresh in my mind. I still remember my last play I performed was “Sampatti Samarpan” in the lead role (which was negative though) back in the year 1990, I guess.
Ashatami was special at our pujo. Apart from the long pushpanjali’s & lavish pulao bhog, it was the sandhi pujo which attracted people more. Be it early in the morning, or during the day or late at night, I have never seen so many people and such a great way the pujo being conducted in any other pandals I have been too. The lightening of lamps and chanting of mantra, and speeding against time to complete the pujo within the stipulated time, was a spectacle.
Nabomi night was thrilling with late night antakshari, musical chair and lot more. We even went Pandal hopping and eating at stalls for free. The seniors use to foot the bill J
Most of the night was party time, and the definition of party on nabami night kept changing with age. But I guess in midst of all of the changing parties I have had, the most memorable one’s were plain simple Adda, rather in Chondo Jetu’s word “Aaj Bichar Hoibo”
Dashami, was potluck. As children we went with parents for having lunch at a restaurant, as youngsters it was friends whom we went out with. When I started earning, I took my family and relatives for lunch. Lunch at a restaurant has today become a tradition and I guess so many of them still follow it. With stomach full and a short nap, came the time when we drew the curtains down, with Sindoor Khela and Bhashan, but for us the climax is still left, or should I steal a line “Picture abhi baki hai mere dost”
Sindoor khela is a spectacle and with naughty boys like us, lacing the festivity with a bit of "bhang" in ladoos or sharbot, made it more enjoyable. Those were the stories which would make our contributory dinner next night memorable. The moment of truth arrived when Maa Durga and her Children’s were loaded on the truck for bisorjon. Few mighty men and hundreds of suggestion made it possible to load the idols without damage. The trucks went through the locality with children young and old dancing to the dhak and specially organized kurkuri. We all danced till Jodhpur park, and then the trucks would go and come back with shantijol, when the entire para would come again to wish each other “Shubho Bijoya” and embrace with a promise to be back next year with more celebrations.
Every year this time, I feel so nostalgic and make a promise to be back in Kolkata to celebrate the pujo. At times we feel lets go back to Kolkata, have a good job, easy life with all near and dear ones and enjoy life to the fullest, lend a hand to this pujo, go back to the days of rehearsals, and these were serious thoughts, but with a the current political & industrial scenario, it becomes difficult to take a call. We hope this pujo, Maa Durga bless all who want to make our Bengal, back as “Sonar Bengal”, and Curse those who with their limited knowledge is leading West Bengal to Waste Bengal.
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