36-days for Durga Puja and the dhakis get ready

Suddenly I saw this tiny news flash blinking on the top left hand corner of one of the Bengali TV channels – it was announcing ‘36-days left for Durga Pujas’.
That conjured up visions of the past when no one had heard about television and newspapers enjoyed prime place in every home. It was the medium available to know what is happening around us apart from the news reports broadcast over the Radio – it was a boring affair.
Anyway, these newspapers had other uses also – people would come from door to door to buy the old papers because these would then be made into paper bags and sold to shopkeepers to pack groceries. Many of these buyers of old newspapers cheated by using weights that were not proper – a portion would be scooped out from the rear and, even though the weight resembled a one-kilogram measure, due to the tampering, it could actually be 900-grams!!

But, the best part of newspapers were the ads of new arrivals in clothes and footwear and special ‘Sales Offers’ pertaining to previous years’ stocks held in the inventory of the shopkeepers. These would be termed ‘Puja Sales’. As far as footwear goes, the leading newspapers would devote the last page to showcasing the wide range of new designs with prices – the purpose was that the head of the family could prepare his budget in advance. Pujas meant celebrations and wearing new clothes and footwear. For the women folk, there would be jewelry and cosmetics – and these invariably took second place because the boys mattered more. The weaker sex had to learn that sacrifice is what they must accept.
And, while the city folks began to gear up for the celebrations, the dhakis living in far-off villages would be fine-tuning their instruments – namely the ‘dhaks’. Durga Puja was the occasion to make some money. Their ‘dhaks’ or drums would have to perform to perfection and create music appropriate to the occasion. They would have to participate in open competitions in Sealdah Station in Kolkata and satisfy the organizers of the Pujas to be selected for that year. (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

City of Jinan to eliminate all dogs even if they are registered pets and vaccinated

Two foreign tourists killed as Kalka-Shimla toy train derails

Molesters flee bleeding from the clutches of a karate girl in Barasat, West Bengal


Ringo Starr, Beatles drummer, bemoans the decline in the music industry

Lindsay Lohan fails to keep her date with Toronto Film Festival

Kangana Ranaut in Paris for ‘Queen’ hates actors endorsing fairness creams


This is the age of drone warfare - pick and eliminate the jihadists from miles away

RAF readies to strike ISIS in Syria to check flow of refugees into Europe

Russia’s game plan not clear – it sends Pantsir-S missile system to Syria


Bengalis are a politically conscious lot

Rasgulla, the juice-dripping sweet that Bengalis swear by

Bengalis are daydreamers tied to mothers’ apron strings