Where is the Durga Puja ?

Today is Mahasaptami but my mind is a little confused and my heart is a little sad ! Being born a bengali, one can not but miss the unmistakeable puja spirit. It starts right from the onset of autumn and the different kinds of kinds of smells, sights and feelings that it brings along ! The "shiuli and kash phool", the newer blue sky, the bright soft golden sunshine , the smell of something enchanting in the air and the feel of the winter following. It is definitely different !

The word Pujo or worship brings to the mind at once the feeling of silence and sacredness and at the same time a feeling of newness and freshness. But over the last few years, I am struggling to find that fulfillment in the Durga Pujas at Kolkata. The hype and the hoopla is there , the incessant advertisements are there, the excitement of vacation is there . But where is the Puja ? Where is that silence and sacredness? Yes there are serpentine queues in front of the pandals , but where is the community belongingness ? Yes there is hype, hoopla and the build-up to the Puja,but where is the call from the soul for the mother divine ? Yes there are fantastic pandals where people throng , but where is the divinely beautiful Goddess Durga's idol invoking command, love and respect ? Yes there is a lot of noise ,but where is that sweet sound of the dhaks ? The men and women are wearing new clothes but alas there is no newness in the spirit. The faces may shine due to forced make up but there is no radiance of the soul.

The purohits are following the rituals and chantings(I hope so!) but who cares for the chantings ! The mind runs towards the other c's - chicken chap, chicken roll , chowmein in the eateries lined up on the roads and other trashy attractions. You can see many feeding their already overworked and fat bellies but rarely any one nourishing their souls !

Alas Ma ! my soul weeps silently, I do not know whom to share the pain with . Ma, your children have lost their way, lost in the jungle of desires and titillation of the mind. They do not know that what they are seeking, lies in you and in you alone ! They are spending Puja after Puja without knowing the true essence of Puja. A typical bong will spend 4 days in the "carnival" called Pujo which leaves him ultimately wanting for more. Instead of refreshed and rested, he would feel the need of a couple of more days to recuperate from the Puja Holidays !

 Some one very wise has said "When celebration has a tinge of sacredness and prayer, it gains depth and dignity. It is not just entertainment for the mind or excitement for body, but nourishment for the soul."

When we reawaken ourselves to this universal truth, truly Kolkata will once more celebrate the Durga Puja with full fervor and gaity.

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