Pomp and glamour in Durga Puja in Bengal

Durga Puja holds a pride of place in Bengal. It is an occasion when the whole of Bengal comes together to enjoy a few days of unbridled fun. There are hundreds of Pujas and organizers spend hours to come up with new and innovative ideas to capture the imagination of the public and increase footfalls. There have been decorations where the bulk of material used defy imagination. In the past, some have gone in for bamboos, others relied on sea shells, others on coconut while others selected discarded parts of motor vehicles. The design of the pandals relied on well-known buildings including temples, churches, castles and other such unique structures. It seems the brains behind the pujas begin work much in advance. In fact, the planning stage takes off soon after immersion of the idols. Incidentally, the scale of the festivities expanded about a decade earlier. It coincided with a new government taking over. Youngsters are usually the prime movers who breathe life into festivals. In this case, also, they emerged on the scene to change the concept of celebrations. They had the support of people who matter. Thus, the new age Durga Puja came into existence where there was no dearth of funds and the imagination of the organizers could take wings. This festival earned the UN Cultural Heritage status in 2021.

The organizers rightly deserve this recognition because it is a combined effort of not only Bengalis but also all those who contribute. They come from all walks of life and work towards a common goal – success of the programs. These begin from carrying the idols from Kumartuli to the lorries for moving to the pandals till the immersion of the idols in the Hoogly River. Then there are the dance programs mostly of housing societies. The participants include Bengalis and non-Bengalis. When the time comes for community lunch, a common feature, everyone sits together – irrespective of religious faith.

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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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