DURGA PUJA in KOLKATA

Durga Puja is special to Bengalis. For Kolkata its a CARNIVAL. The atmosphere in Kolkata builds up 7-days prior to the festival, when the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadro echoes on the All India Radio & FM on the day of Mahalaya. Time witnesses & dictates change but somehow the voice of Mahalaya has been Timeless, replacements have failed to make any mark. "Aashiner Sarodo praate..", the voice sends out vibes that can never be comprehended...SALUTE to that voice, the Voice of Durga Puja. 

                                 

                                                   

                                              

No matter which part of Bengal you belong, a true Bengali will want to be at his place during the Puja. In Kolkata, the total ambience is something that words fail to fit in. The forms of art & architectural beauty and grandeur displayed during the festival are examples of timeless marvels, that too by people from roots. Many argue to the point of wastage of money, etc. If celebration of art is wastage then the world would be dull and boring place to live in. Could one think of a world without Taj Mahal ? If celebration of art is a waste then artists like Michaelangelo or a Leonardo da Vinci would not have been remembered. Film Festivals, movies like Titanic are examples of time less classics. So, is the Durga Puja in Kolkata, it has its own Space.

Everything has its identity - Durga Puja in Kolkata has its own. I struggle to find a single example in the modern era (especially in India) where art has had such an image of greater than life and is celebrated and enjoyed by the mass. This is the Festival of the People, by the People, for the People.

                                                    

What is better than to have religious culture and art blended together in a single occasion with the aim of providing pure pleasure to the spectators ? We go out for vacations, we spend money to visit historical places and watch architectural wonders. Why do we do so ? We can feel the life in them, we feel associated with them. These moments are life long treasures. Very often we do not give much importance to what we see around us. Its only when we miss them regularly we feel their importance----Puja in Kolkata is like that. We see them every year, the pandals, the idols, the lighting—some of them repeatative, some very innovative-----once these pandals are dismantled we forget them. If we go back down the memory lane and think what we have seen during those four-five days we can feel what we have gained and what we would have lost had those been not there. 

The crowd rush during the Puja has often been criticised. Yes at times it is annoying but in a festival mass participation will be there else the spirit gets dampened. It would be like a singer singing in front of an empty hall. Still some consider it childish to go for pandal hopping. Some prefer to go the night clubs, bars and restaurants, or a film - it seems round the year they have no time to enjoy like this---poor guys. 

                                        

Presently our main focus or concern is our careers, our future prospects. Everyone wants to climb up the ladder, that’s natural – modern world demands that. But it is quite shocking to see that the youth in Bengal enjoy going to the office during the puja than pandal hopping. 

Post 2005, Durga Puja in Kolkata has changed quite rapidly. There are too much prizes and sponsors now. The commercial part has gained much importance and this is creating useless competition and spoiling the spirit of the festival. People are more interested in going to see the winner. It is sad that our outlook in our profession or academics is creeping into the festival spirit. The festival is not about winning or loosing it is about enjoying. 

                                            

Finally, I feel sorry for those artists and architects involved during the pujas. Very few of them have had the good luck and got recognition. SALUTE to these men who come up year after year to create something new, something amazing, something which Mass might enjoy. Every year they try to make it bigger, better & that too not with big pay cheques. 

Note : For photos & comments refer the links below

Durga Puja 2015 :https://photos.app.goo.gl/a3pMdjinEzWFWYtMA

Durga Puja 2018 :https://photos.app.goo.gl/qQHHydevkdLBm6j86

Durga Puja 2019 : https://photos.app.goo.gl/fBBeqVy5sKzjRVsy9