Durga Puja and a trip to the sea beach of Digha

One of the favorite festivals of Bengalis is the Durga Puja. The festivities go on for four days and many Bengalis take the opportunity to visit the sea beach of Digha. There are any number of hotels and Digha tourism tries to cater to a whole range of visitors. These provide the visitors with innumerable options. A few tips worth following are to reserve a hotel in advance suitable to your pocket. There are any number of websites that are loaded with options. There are packages for making local trips to enjoy the holidays to the maximum. West Bengal Tourism department provides an insight into places to see and enjoy in Digha, a seaside place to spend some time with family and friends.

Durga Puja is the festive season when Bengalis enjoy a long holiday. Hence, many of those who plan to spend it on the seaside opt for Digha. It is accessible by train or by bus or by hired vehicles. The list of dos and don’ts are not many. How can you enjoy Durga Puja at affordably priced hotel in Digha? It is necessary that you book the hotel accommodation in advance, preferably online. In case there are children, it is better to select a hotel that offers facilities for kids’ activity. In case there are elderly persons, it helps if pickup and drop facilities are available from the railway station. As to food, try to avoid street food. They might appear attractive but may not follow the guidelines of hygiene. It would be wise to rely on the lip-smacking seafood served at the hotels.

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His contribution to Durga Puja will never be forgotten

Here is the thirty first unforgettable character in my life …

Durga Puja is the largest festival of Bengalis wherever they may be and our township was no exception. When it started, those who were involved in it devoted their energies to make it a success from the very first day and managed to create a festive mood for not just the four days but the taste lingered on long after the immersion of the idols in the River Godavari.
The period was in the late seventies and the man responsible was an ex-Navy officer. He possessed a never-say-die attitude that is unique to anyone who has seen service in the armed forces. When the Bengalis decided to hold the first ever Durga Puja in the township, he led from the front and ensured that the festivities left a lasting impression on not only on the Bengali community but also the locals.

The biggest challenge was to organize entertainment packages for the four days. Since necessary funds were raised from donations and subscriptions, the donors expected to get their money’s worth. And - he took a decision to arrange programs of artistes from Mumbai and Pune. The tentative program for the four days were – inauguration, entertainment package by artistes of Mumbai or Pune, a program to the Marathi population, and an evening meant exclusively for local talents.
It was that stage in our lives when television was in its infancy and cable TV was unheard of and people would crowd to venues of entertainment to spend an evening and watch celebrities and renowned singers.
He had managed to bring famous artistes from Mumbai like Hema Malini, Manna Dey, Babla’s orchestra, Tun Tun, Sachin Shankar’s ballet and others to entrain the gatherings.
The idol of Goddess Durga and her retinue would be brought directly from Kolkata by train as would be the dhaki and there would be community lunch consisting of khichudi on all the four days that would be open to everybody, irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
However, all of a sudden, he passed away and others took off from where he left. Even today, he is remembered as the man who made things happen. The word ‘impossible’ was not in his dictionary.


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He was my first boss and be taught me the basics

Here is the twenty third unforgettable character in my life …

When I joined in Nashik as a first line supervisor in the aircraft manufacturing factory, my first boss was a Bangalorean. He was the departmental head and had risen from the ranks and did not possess any degree but had loads of wisdom. I learnt some of the basics of management from him directly and some more by observing him, his actions and reactions.
He taught me to lead by example. He had an old Fiat car and would park it in the parking lot and walk down to the hangar. In winter, he would be dressed in his coat, muffler and gloves and, once in the hangar, he would climb up the stairs, go to his room, remove the coast, muffler and gloves stand on the balcony. Then he would start to roll up his sleeves and begin to climb down the stairs.

His message was clear – dress should not create any obstruction to do one’s work.
Another thing he taught me was to ask questions. There were nearly 300 staff under him and they included technicians. They worked in eight different sections and I was in charge of one section. My boss would come to my section and suddenly enquire about the whereabouts of one of my men. The first time he asked me, I shot off a standard reply – ‘he had gone to the toilet.’ He nodded and waited for the man to return. Then he asked him where he had been. The man replied that he had gone to the tool crib to get a drill bit. I was embarrassed but my boss looked at me, smiled and said – ‘always ask questions. Even if you know the answer, ask.’
Then there was his most important message of how to handle others. It was my first job and most of the men who worked under me were of my age. There were a few Bengalis and, during the tea break we would our sip our tea together and exchange pleasantries. We would even share a smoke. One day, my boss called me aside and said – ‘Ghose, people are a source of fire. If you go too close, you will get burnt. If you stay too far way, you will not enjoy the warmth. Therefore, you must know just how much distance you should maintain.’


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My boss rode a scooter and wore a wig

Here is the ninth unforgettable character in my life …

He was one of my bosses. Very stern looking, he wore a wig to cover the bald pate and, when he rode his scooter to office, he would push up the goggles to hold the wig in place. He was a retired Senior Officer of Air Force and the original Italian Fiat car was one of his prized possessions. He could play the guitar and one of his favorite songs was ‘Sunday kay Sunday….’ Every Sunday, he spent a lot of time inside the bonnet of his car, wiping clean all traces of dirt, oil and whatever unwanted items he could see.

When I reported to him on an internal transfer, he looked up from his papers, grunted and asked me to contact one of the other officers. He did not seem to be happy about inducting me into his department because I was, like him, a Bengali and he somehow had a very bad opinion about Bengalis. I did not have much choice and, since there was no space to put another table in the office for me, I was asked to share a table with another person. We sat on either side of one table!
I might mention here that the department was an important one and a majority of the officers were aged, experienced persons who could assist the customer by retrieving necessary information in a jiffy based on their long association with the air force. I felt I was a misfit in this group and, with a boss who would have preferred me to move out to some other department, I was in a dilemma. Suddenly, after nearly six months, one of the official letters came to me. My boss had noted in the margin: ‘Ghose, let me have details.’ I was elated – at long last, I had a specific work assigned by my boss. In real earnest, I went around gathering information. I was like Hanuman – I did not know what my boss had in mind therefore I had to pick up every bit of connected information so that I could answer all his questions.
We had a wonderful association after that. I gradually became one of his trusted lieutenants and, whenever any typical problem surfaced, he would ask me to share my ideas on it. He is now enjoying his retired life in Hyderabad.


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Saraswati Puja means entering a new phase of life

Saraswati Puja is the ritual of worshipping the Goddess of Learning and it opens up the doors to a new world for the Bengalis. There are many positive aspects of this festival. Yes, it is nothing short of a festival for not only the tiny tots but also for boys and girls in schools and colleges as well as elders in any firm of entertainment.

Saraswati Puja is performed when the parents bring the tiny tots before the Goddess to earn her blessings as they step into the world of education. The kid sit on the lap of the priest who makes it hold a chalk and initiate the moves necessary to form an alphabet. The kid enters the world of writing the alphabets on a slate. Of course, kids today know the alphabets and numerals in advance, thanks to TV channels meant for the tiny tots. The worship of Goddess Saraswati is just a ritual.
The next phase of life is adolescence – the step is when the girls are old enough to wear the saree. And, the boys blush when they meet the girls. Saraswati Puja to them is an opportunity to shed inhibitions and enjoy each other’s company. If one goes by what participants of TV game shows admit – many of these feel-good bonds have become permanent in future. They admit that they had first met during Saraswati Puja!
And, as the devotees age, they worship the Goddess to help them assimilate knowledge – in any form. There are the singers, the musicians, the glittering stars of the silver screen as well as the small screen. And, writers.


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Lord Shiva laments over full Moon and a burnt roti (satire)

Lord Shiva was a lonely man – he wandered aimlessly in Mount Kailash and his devoted Nandi and Bhringi followed him wherever he went. He used his trident to poke the stones in the fond hope of turning up something interesting – and he is still waiting for his luck to favor him.
Durga, as was her wont, was watching him from the kitchen window and knew that her Lord wanted some sort of diversion. So she came into view with a pair of binoculars dangling in her hand.
‘I think you forgot to bring this,’ she said and held it out for Shiva.
‘I left it back on purpose, there is nothing new to see.’
‘You are mistaken,’ Durga shook her head ‘A New Year has started and new things will be happening. Don’t you want to see the transformation taking place?’
‘It is the same leaders with the same slogans and same promises,’ Shiva sighed. ‘They just do not want to change. They are all building castles in the air. They live in glass houses and keep throwing stones. They spit in the air and it rebounds on them.’
‘Our very own Didi is an exception,’ Durga said. ‘Her heart bleeds for her people. She has a very big heart and cozies up to those who will help her in her mission.’
‘Don’t tell me,’ Shiva shrugged off Durga’s ideas. ‘She is a chameleon – changes her color too fast and takes everyone by surprise.’

‘Why do you say that? She wants to do good for her people. She wants to bring in industries and has gone to foreign countries to invite them over. They have come and, hopefully, things will improve.’
Shiva gave a hearty laugh.
‘Wishful thinking,’ he said. ‘You mean to say that hands that are meant to compose poems will pick up a hammer and chisel to earn a living?’
It was now Durga’s turn to laugh. ‘Have you not heard that the Coffee House culture is on the way out?’
‘That is impossible. What are Bengalis minus the Coffee House culture?’
‘They are putting up CCTVs in the Coffee House. And – whoever enters must clock in the time of entry. Obviously, the patrons will get Didi’s message and give up their pens.’
‘I see a bleak future,’ Shiva murmured. ‘There will be no more laments of the full Moon looking like a burnt roti.’ (to be continued …)


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Didi had all of a sudden gone into hiding which was a bit strange because she likes to, always, be in the limelight. But, she had a hectic time for the last couple of weeks and was famished. Her doctors had ensured that the energy she had lost was recouped but, her voice had cheated her and she was forced to remain in the sidelines till her fiery voice regained its original level.
Abhi Shake had come to meet her and found Dee Wreck already at her side with his laptop. He was explaining to Didi his latest strategy. And, Didi was listening to his soft voice.
‘Yes Abhi,’ she looked at him and took a sip of her favorite ginger tea. It was a sure shot energy booster in winter but, even in humid summer, it was a welcome drink.

‘My boys want to meet you,’ Abhi said. ‘They have some useful tips that could help our cause.’
‘What sort of tips?’ Didi asked.
‘They want a clean-up contract,’ Abhi said.
‘Clean up? Why is everyone so intent on clean-up operations? What is there to clean up?’
‘The walls,’ Abhi muttered. ‘They want to clean up the defaced walls. Irrespective of which party has made the mess, my boys will remove every bit of wall writings and posters.’
‘Fine,’ Didi looked pleased. ‘Ask them to take photographs and preserve the writings. Some of them are real works of arts and, only Bengalis can create such masterpieces. We will compile them and sell them in the next Book Fair.’
‘Fantastic idea,’ Dee Wreck was all smiles. ‘We will append the translations and, I am sure the compilation would find a huge market.’
‘Let it be priced in dollars,’ Didi sad. ‘That way, we’ll get more money. A price tag of $50 would be chicken feed to foreigners but it would mean nearly Rs 3000 per book. And, that is quite an amount.’ (to be continued …)


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