DURGA PUJA: PART 8
Aschhe Bachor Abar Hobe
Time to go back: A plaintive note
The
final bell is about to ring. The city lights are fading away. Vendors have
started packing. The faces are expressing a sad note. Yes, the celebration has
come to an end. Excitement is at its oddment. Voices are floating in the
atmosphere, Balo-Durga-Mai-Ki-Joy (glory
be to mother Durga), Aschhe bachor abar
hobe (it will happen again in the coming year) and so on and so forth. So,
it’s Bijayadasami.
Maa Durga is at her doorstep, time to go back to her in-laws. It is another
long wait of one year.
The last post “Aschhe bachor abar hobe” of the series “Call from Mount
Kailash”, explores three important rituals of Bijayadasami viz. debi-boron, sindur khela (play with vermillion) and protima-niranjan or bisarjon (immersion of the idol). The
married women cordially welcome the goddess before she leaves her parent’s
place. The ritual implies an advance respectful invitation to the goddess to
visit her father’s place in the coming year. The boron-dala (a wicker-tray holding articles with which one is
received ceremonially) generally includes two betel leaves, areca nut, vermillion
and sweets. Let’s have a look how me
three passionate photographers from Kolkata, Kanad Sanyal, Niladri Roy and Sanchayita
Chatterjee have captured these moments through their lenses.
Esho
esho amar ghore esho, amar ghore (come, come to my home) . . .
The long queue
Ladies waiting in front of the pandal with boron-dala
in hands
Ladies decked up in
golden ornaments
Mitra bari-r Debi-boron
19, Nilmoni Mitra
Street, Kolkata
Sindur khela is
a part of the debi-boron ritual. The
married women put vermillion on each other’s face after they welcome the
goddess. The main purpose of this ritual is to depict the stronghold of
patriarchy. Married women celebrate sindur khela being proud of their husband.
Moments: Sidur khela
People
from various cultural backgrounds participate in Durga puja celebration
wholeheartedly and that is the essence of the city. Sidur khela is also not an
exception. The following photograph shows how one non-Bengali woman becomes a
part of the celebration.
The Bong beauties
19, Nilmoni Mitra Street, Kolkata
The ‘other’ beauty
The
pattern of wearing saree is also varied. The photograph at the left showcases
three generations wearing saree in three different fashions. The photograph on
the right simply portrays the generation gap through the pattern of wearing
saree. The older lady wears saree in a traditional aatpauwre fashion (wearing saree with one fold) whereas the younger
lady wears it in the contemporary way.
The generation gap
Balo-Durga-Mai-Ki-Joy . . .
Protima niranjan or
the immersion of the idol is the most
doleful event of the celebration. But the most fanatical part of bisarjon is
the ‘bhasan dance’ which can beat any
auspicious dance forms any day any time. Bhasan dance is performed amidst the
loud chants of ‘Balo-Durga-Mai-Ki-Joy’ and
‘Aschhe bachor abar hobe’. In spite
of being men or women, young or old, people match their steps with the rhythm
of drumbeats in the procession of bhasan (immersion).
Maa Durga on the way to her
consort’s place
Bisarjon-er pothe : A mournful
adieu
The ‘bhasan dance’
The procession of protima niranjan
Abar esho maa (mother,
come again) . . .
Maa
Durga before the immersion
Bhasie dilam nodir jole: The immersion
Contributor’s Bio-Notes:
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Kanad Sanyal is an avid photographer based in West
Bengal. He continuously tries to capture many stories of everyday life through
his lens.
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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.
Series Editor:
Nirmita Roychowdhury
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