Call from Mount Kailash......

DURGA PUJA: PART 1


Commencement of ‘Debipakkho’: The festive aura at its peak

Mahalaya is the inaugural day for Debipakkho. ‘Debipakkho’ indicating the yearly session of Durga Puja starts with hearing the stotropath (reading out of sanskrit shlokas) by famous Birendra Krishna Bhadra at the break of dawn. This particular voice telling “Ashwiner Sharod prate” triggers the feeling of homecoming of Debi Durga. The men, early in the morning play a ritual on this particular day called tarpon. Tarpon is the offerings to ancestors. The men pray and offer teel and Tulsi in the name of their ancestors. According to the Hindu mythology, pitripakkho comes to an end and matripakkho starts on this very day and hence the significance of tarpon.

Ritual of Tarpon on the morning of Mahalaya

Offerings to the ancestors in river Ganga

Photo credit: Niladri Roy

Editing and collage: Nirmita Roychowdhury

Dhak (drum) is a membranophone instrument of South Asia and an integral part of Durga puja. The celebration and the festive aura are incomplete without the maddening beats of dhak. Every year, as debipakkho starts, the ‘dhaki’-s (drummers) start coming to Kolkata from rural areas of Bengal with a hope of earning. By and large, Durga puja is the only festival when the persons of this profession can earn a substantial amount. The organizing members of the puja committees come to this dhaki bazaar in Sealdah station and book them by advance payment. This is a profession by generation. Though dhak, having a shape from cylindrical to barrel and huge in size, the newer versions of the instruments are coming up.   As the collage depicts, the young dhaki-s are playing small dhaks which do not look alike the traditional ones. On one side, bookings are going on in the station by the puja committees and on the other side, they are waiting for the opportunity, which is yet to come.

Dhaki bazaar at Sealdah station

Bookings going on by the members of puja committees

Photo credit: Niladri Roy

Sealdah and Howrah, being the two main railway junctions of and near Kolkata, depict two different stories simultaneously. When Sealdah is busy with its dhaki bazaar, Howrah is busy in selling flowers. Howrah is the biggest flower market in Kolkata metropolitan area and flowers are sold here in retail price. As Durga puja knocks at the door, one can feel the busyness of the place. Lotuses are sold in huge numbers because 108 lotuses is a vital ingredient in sandhi puja (a ritual performed at the end of ashtami and beginning of nabami). As debipakkho starts, one witnesses the rush in Howrah flower market.

Ful bazaar at Howrah ful ghat

Photo credit: Niladri Roy

Author’s Bio-Note:

Niladri Roy is a documentary film maker, film editor & graphics designer based in Kolkata. He has worked with renowned film maker; Mr. Goutam Ghosh in his various projects. Besides this profession, he has passion in photography. Presently, he is working on a photo story and documentary film which is his dream project.