Pujo Asche

Pujo asche is what we Bengalis start feeling from the month of August after the monsoon subsides. The black cloud in the sky gets replaced by the floating feathery white clouds, the intoxicating fragrance from the shiuli flowers scattered on the ground fills up the air, the kash ful adorns our river banks, the reddish tinge appears in the sky before sunset, and shops brims with new stocks and we understand that Ma Durga is on her way.

These are not Bengali but Kuwaiti Kashful ;-)

The festivity almost starts with Vishwakarma Puja, which takes place roughly 20 days ahead of Durga Puja. Then on the Mahalaya day we wake up early in the morning to the chantings of Birendra Krishna Bhadra and the mesmerising songs of “Mohishashurmordini” or Mahalaya as popularly known. The final countdown starts with Mahalaya and within 3-4 days Devi Durga is there in our beautifully decorated pandals.

As a child I remember that Ma used to start preparations for puja almost two months ahead. She used to start cleaning the house and throwing or donating discarded stuffs. After that she began her puja shopping. First she used to go to Gariahat alone and buy the clothes that were to be given to relatives. The shopping for our clothes used to be done one month ahead of Puja in New Market. This day Bapi accompanied us. Those were not the days of shopping malls. I wouldn’t be able to sleep the previous night out of excitement that the next day we were going shopping. At 10am we used to board the bus and reach New Market. After that Ma went on a shopping spree hopping from one shop to another looking especially for my clothes. She usually bought my clothes from Treasure Island, our shoes from Bata and accessories like wallets, bags, table clothes, curtains etc from Hog Market.

Lunch was always the yummy Biryani from Aminia. My parents unlike our generation considered eating out sacrilegious. In the entire year we used to eat out only three times once during Puja shopping, once on their anniversary and once on Christmas day at Park Street. My mom would have got a heart attack if she had seen the number of times we eat out, or get take-away. After lunch we did the remaining shopping and by 4pm wrapped up. Before boarding the return Bus, Bapi often bought me a kulfi from Rallis or an ice cream cone from scoops. On some years we used to go for a movie after shopping only if my parents found the movie suitable for my viewing. Only once when I threw serious tantrums they made an exception and went to watch Rocky V (they were scandalised as it had few “scenes”).

After the shopping part was over the distribution part started. That means we went to the houses of various relatives and similarly relatives visited us. I used to look forward to what clothes I will get from my umpteen Uncles and Aunts. Well there was also little bit of recycling involved. If one was not particularly liked it went to someone else. Only we had to be careful that if something came from my maternal side it shouldn’t go to the same side but to my paternal side and vice-versa otherwise it would be a huge goof up.

I used to take out my new clothes and shoes everyday out of the Almirah and have a look. The smell of crisp new clothes makes me nostalgic even today. I made plans when and how to wear them during the Puja days. Some of my plans were often discarded by Ma as she found them very denpo for my age. Finally the day came when Durga idol with her face covered with newspaper came to our neighbourhood Pandal and for me puja began.

Happy Mahalaya

Today is Mahalaya, The end of Pitripaksha, and the beginning of Debipaksha. For a lay man this means the beginning of Durga Puja. The memory of Mahalaya for any Bengali is associated with Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s “Mahishasurmordini”. As a child I never understood what Mahalaya signifies, I only knew that this is the day when we all will get up early in the morning to listen to “Mahalaya”(as “Mohishasurmordini” was popularly known) on the radio.

The previous night, my mother used to tune the radio to the proper frequency and keep it by her pillow so that she doesn’t have to get out of bed early in the morning to get it. She used to set the alarm clock for 4am. The moment alarm clock buzzed she switched on the radio and listened intently with her eyes closed. Next she poked me to wake up and then head towards the kitchen to make tea. My father used to join us from the next room. Both of them sat together to listen the Mahalaya and sip hot tea. It was a ritual for them.

I used to wake up instantly and listen for few minutes, but then slowly snuggle deep inside the duvet and invariably after one or two songs fell asleep all over again but the music hummed in my ears even in deep slumber. I might confess that I have never heard the entire Mahalaya at one stretch. Therefore Mahalaya always to me is like that half forgotten song that chimes.

The year Ma died I couldn’t endure the same Mahalaya. Bapi woke up as usual and switched on the radio, but for me it was unbearable. It reminded me so much of Ma that I felt like my pain will shatter my heart and rip apart my chest. Tears were rolling down my cheeks and I wanted to shut everything out. In a desperate attempt to save myself from the pain and grief of Ma’s memory I covered my ears with pillows.

Ten years after that I never listened to the Mahalaya. Every single year Mahalaya’s noise from surrounding houses troubled and tortured me. I tried hard to run away from the very songs I loved as a child. Then a miracle happened. The year I was expecting my son, I felt like listening to Mahalaya, more than myself I wanted my unborn child to listen to Mahalaya. I wanted the life inside my womb to know my mother. As I was in Mumbai, I couldn’t switch on the radio, rather I played the CD. Maybe I wanted to listen to Mahalaya, as I was away from Bengal. I was in Mumbai where neighbour’s radio would not disturb me and also I wanted my child to know my mother. My child would never meet my mother but at least he should feel her.

Today also I played Mahalaya, but my son was not very interested. He found it boring. Growing up in Mumbai he doesn’t feel the same enthusiasm regarding Mahalaya that we experienced in Kolkata. Unlike us this is an isolated and not part of collective experience for him. I cannot force him to make it a part of his memory. I can just hope that one day he will like it.

Bengali Year 1421

15 April 1 Baishakh Tuesday Bengali New Year

14 May 30 Baisakh Wednesday Buddha Purnima

22 June 7 Ashar Sunday Ambubachi starts

26 June 11 Ashar Thursday Ambubachi ends

1 July 16 Ashar Tuesday Bipadtarini pujo

10 August 24 Shraban Sunday Rakhi Purnima

8 September 22 Bhadro Monday Anant Chaturdashi

23 September 6 Ashwin Tuesday Mahalaya

29 September 12 Ashwin Monday Durga Puja Panchami

30 September 13 Ashwin Tuesday Mahashashti

1 October 14 Ashwin Wednesday Mahasaptami

2 October 15 Ashwin Thursday Mahashtami and Mahanabami

3 October 16 Ashwin Friday Vijaya Dashami

7 October 20 Ashwin Tuesday Kojagari Laxmi Puja

23 October 5 Kartik Thursday Kali Pujo and Dipawali

25 January 10 Magh Sunday Saraswati Pujo

17 February 4 Falgun Tuesday Mahashivratri

5 March 20 Falgun Thursday Dol Purnima