Mahalaya brings a festive flavor in Bengal due to Durga Puja

Durga Puja is the most important festival of Bengalis. This year it is special for Bengal because of the recognition accorded to the festival by the UNESCO heritage committee. Hence, the Puja committees have removed all stops to welcome foreign tourists to highlight the hidden talents of those of those who join hands to construct pandals and decorate them. Many of these have out-of-the-world appearances that defy expectations. It is usual for celebrities to grace the occasion of the inauguration. However, this year there appears to be an exception due to whatever reasons. Durga Puja 2022: Why did Bollywood disappear from the glittering Puja event? Fear of ED here? . As it is, there are the old traditional pujas and there are the new wave theme pujas. People flock and move from one pandal to another to enjoy the sights and sounds all around.

Incidentally, it is usual to conduct the inauguration program after Mahalaya, preferably the Panchami. This year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated several pujas much before Panchami. Probably she had to keep in mind the changed equation in view of commodification and commercialization. Durga Puja is the quintessential Bengali festival where the city of Kolkata gives its all. The outbreak of corona forced the devotees to spend the last two years practically sitting at home. Obviously, the excitement for this year’s puja is different.

Durga Puja from outside India and within –

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Tourist hotels in Puri, Darjeeling and Digha –

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In the wonderland of agarbattis

The agarbatti or joss stick or incense stick is an item that is found in every home. It is believed that the Gods love the scent, and the smoke that billows out from the burning agarbatti act like magic on those who are within its range. It is a product that used to fall into the category of a cottage industry, but has now been relegated to something much more. It is a product that must be sold, and an aggressive marketing technique is essential to exploit its export potentials.

In order to achieve this objective, the industry has roped in celebrities from the movie world to cricketers. There is an aging heroine who, with her daughters, beams at the priest and offers packets of agarbatti instead of flowers. The reason is simple – her daughter forgot to bring flowers and the mother offers the agaratties as an alternative. Wonder how agarbatties can substitute flowers during the anjali (floral offerings)!
Then there is an actor in his 70s who also is a fan of agarbatties. In fact, of late, he is seen to be endorsing any and every product that comes his way. His appearance in movies have reduced because the younger crowd has edged him out, but he probably wants to remain in focus to ensure that people do not forget him. As the saying goes – out of sight is out of mind.
And then there are the cricketers. They are also seen to endorse agarbatties. They have a reason – before the start of any major game, they invariably make a beeline to the temple for a meeting with the Gods to seek their blessings. All of them extoll the virtues of the incense stick. Wonder when the yoga guru will enter the field and who he will select to endorse his brand.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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In the wonder world of TV serials

Television has come as a blessing to the world of today by opening up the door for innumerable opportunities to make money. It is up to the individual to exploit the situation to the fullest. There are many TV channels and, most of them survive on serials which have helped generate thousands of direct and indirect employment in the form of supporting services.
Most important of these are the grooming schools. Reality shows on TV have become a craze and these embrace disciplines like singing and, dancing and, mere knowledge is not enough to guarantee a firm foothold. The participant has to have that something special to make a mark at first appearance. And, there are agencies who specialize in providing various inputs to make their journey to stardom (for some lucky ones) as smooth as possible.

When it comes to the actors and actresses, those who have made it to the celebrity status never look back and, are seen in several serials simultaneously – they keep changing their roles and a hero in one serial may appear as a villain in another. And, it does them credit that they can remember the scripts of so many serials at the same time.
Then there are the children. They have, today, become an integral part of the serials to get better TRP ratings and the effect on young impressionable minds is not good. But, the audience loves them (there was one about a friendly ghost and another one about a singer) and pampers them – a look at any awards function is proof. The worst part is that these serials, with the kids in them, are telecast in time slots when the kids are supposed to be in bed. That, unfortunately, does not happen.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Didi’s plans go awry – black money rears its head (satire)

Didi woke up to a new day after the wonderful evening spent in the company of celebrities of the silver screen. She personally handed over to them her paintings that are high value items – she had sold them to arrange finances for the historic campaign that brought to power.
But – there was gloom around her because there was a sea of housewives outside her house. They were badly affected by the sudden decision of scrapping old bank notes.
It was a real shock to these housewives because they had accumulated quite a lot of money in their secret piggy banks by diversion of funds allotted to them by their hubbies to take care of family expenses.

The amounts in these piggy banks came in handy for extra expenses and, keeping it secret was a sort of game that they played with their hubbies. It was an expression of saying in their way that ‘I too care’.
They were now at a loss of how to keep their treasure trove a secret.
Didi gave them a patient hearing and assured them that she would take up the matter with Delhi.
By the time they dispersed, there was another delegation that had arrived at her doorstep.
They were small time traders who dealt in the goodies of winter – goodies like nalen gur and joynagarer moah. All of a sudden they were stranded because there were no buyers. They wanted Didi to buy off their items and help them out. They suggested that she could store the products and sell them off through her well-oiled machinery as she did for potatoes.
Once again Didi assured them to look into the matter and explore possibilities of helping them out of this predicament.
By the time they left, there was a third group of people. They were the organizers of the exhibitions that are held during winter.
And – behind them were members of various syndicates. They did not know how to take care of the accumulated black money. They wanted her advice.
Didi immediately called an emergency meeting of her confidantes and, within no time, they arrived. There was Moo Cool, Patro Chatto, Show Van, Omit Misra, Dee Wreck, Golla Sen and, Chandi Ma. All of them appeared to be off mood. They had missed their Sunday special lunch of mutton dishes. None of the shops accepted Rs 2000 notes as payment towards of 1-Kg of mutton worth Rs 500 – they just did not have the change to give back! (to be continued …)


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Mahalaya is here and Durga is set for her annual trip (satire)

At last it was Mahalaya. The much awaited day had arrived and Goddess Durga was as excited as a child – waiting to go to her mother’s place for a few days of rest away from the humdrum of routine life. Suddenly Lakshmi came up to her.
‘Mummy,’ she looked worried. ‘I heard that mosquitoes are killing people down there. What should I do? I don’t want to get bitten by those pests and catch dengue.’
‘I know,’ Durga said. ‘It is a problem for not only you but for all of us. We will not die or fall sick but we can be bitten and that will hurt.’
‘Shall I get in touch with that yogi baba who creates magic potions?’
‘You mean Baba Someday?’
‘Yes. He can give us some sort of paste to rub on our body so that it acts as a shield against mosquito attack.’

Just then Lord Shiva came up to them.
‘That is why I feel you should stop this annual visit,’ he said. ‘The people down there do not bother about us. They have become selfish and are showoffs.’
‘I beg to differ,’ Durga objected. ‘You look at the women on Ashtami day. They fast and come to pray and get my blessings.’
Shiva smiled.
‘Actually they come to display their sarees and jewelry. There is no sincerity. They fast all right but, come for Anjali after booking a table at the restaurant.’
‘I agree with you,’ Ganesh said. He had also sauntered over to hear what was being discussed. ‘These people are so hungry. Immediately the anjali is over, they rush to enjoy the five course meal. Sorry – not five but it is a much longer meal.’
‘A twelve course meal,’ Shiva said. ‘It starts with begun bhaja, luchi and chholar dal and ends with rasogolla and mishti doi. In between comes the pulao, topshey fry, murgir theng, dab chingri, kasha mangsho, aloo bakhra chutney. That adds up to a twelve course meal, right?’
Durga nodded as did Ganesh.
‘Moreover the so-called devotees are more devoted to setting fashion trends,’ Shiva went on. ‘The puja is supposed to start on Saptami but, pujas ae inaugurated much before that. Do you know why?'
‘Yes, I know,’ she replied. ‘It is because celebrities are overworked. They have to inaugurate so many big budget pujas and they can’t do that in one day. So – they have to spread it out over a period of time.’
Shiva grinned.
‘I will not criticize your beloved devotees,' he said. ‘Have a happy journey and be careful of the potholes.’ (to be continued …)


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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