Didi could do it effortlessly and with élan roping in support of thousands of Durga Puja Committees and walking from Jorasanko to Red Road. For a change, there were no political slogans. Instead, there was an overall mood of jubilation and victory, like when Durga kills Mahishasura, celebrated as Durga Puja in the State of West Bengal like nowhere else. Conches blew and the drummers played in frenzy.
Durga Puja is the dominant Puja, overriding any other deity worship in Bengal, earlier limited to Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Jagadatri in a few places and, of course, Kali. Vishwakarma was limited to factories and newspaper offices, as I was always denied a copy of the following day’s edition after another holiday. The procession, therefore, is not surprising; it carried another feather in the crown, the UNESCO conferring the puja celebrations with an intangible heritage tag.
West Bengal is short of industries; the touted MOUs with huge investments are rarely seen outside Nabanna or the swanky WBIDC office. It is time West Bengal sheds the ignominy of low industries. We are born to celebrate, sing, dance, eat good food, etc. Our show of secularism is unparalleled, where we can be rare in the rarest places, in a deeply divided religious India, to have minorities heading Hindu Puja committees or temple boards.
Bengal must offer the best example of its secular face, where the CM, a Shandilya Gotra Banerjee, is as much at ease, fasting throughout the day to break her fast during the Iftar functions. She can utter La Allahu ilallah etc. fluently as much as she can recite the Chandi path in praise of Durga. Bengal must change its orientation from racing with a few other States in industrialisation and offer enjoyment and celebration as the alternative offer.
The puja season in Bengal, which begins with Vishwakarma on September 17th every year, ends with celebrating the Goddess of Learning, Saraswati, during the advent of Spring in Late Jan-early February. Smelling political dividends and revenues, just like the greeting card manufacturers propping up Valentin’s day, many new pujas started showing up, for example, Ganesh Chaturthi, Hanuman Jayanti, Sitala Mata with her son Jwarasura (fever god!) and Rabidas Jayanti. More pujas might compete for the UNESCO tag in the future.
There are a few lean months with no pujas and celebrations, and those in authority must look into the possibility of filling these slots soon.
Many jostled to be seen with a calm and composed Didi today. What if Anubrata and Partha were not jailed and had to walk? They must be secretly thanking their stars for sparing the heat and humidity.
am sure UNESCO cannot miss the greatest event in West Bengal, the conferment of the heritage tag for Durga Puja. Didi’s has reciprocated warmly in announcing that today the Puja has begun, a cool 30 days before the almanack announced dates. A few on the Social network are talking of one Tapati Guha Thakurta as the architect of the UNESCO tag. So what? Can anyone else convert the tag into such a big jamboree, tying all communities and erasing the memories of coal, cow, and corruption?
I have a small suggestion. Durga Puja comes yearly, but we get to eat Rosogollas every day. Rosogolla symbolises Bengal for its taste and has been given a G.I. Tag. We have discriminated against the sweet and must have another celebration, walk, holiday etc.
Jai Durga, Jai Didi
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
