Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Durga's October



The end of October draws near, that much awaited month of celebrations. The monsoons are long gone and there is a sudden crispness in the air, particularly in the late afternoons. True, one doesn't have that quintessential kaleidoscopic autumn of the West here, but the air still smells as much ripe. It is plump with expectations - of days of revelry and restlessness, of streets thronged with enthusiastic faces, and of homes filled with a harmonious warmth. During this time of the year, a meaningless mirth floods the city, reaching to its very nooks and crannies, even to its most hideous, unsightly of gutters. After all, joy never differentiates between the beautiful and the ugly, the rich and the poor. Joy is joy, unpretentious and a shade of pristine white, like the untainted heart of a five-year-old.

Today marks the tenth and final day of Durga Puja, the time when the goddess Durga completes her annual journey in the world of mortals. Ten days of her overwhelming presence take one to another world altogether - the charged, carnivalesque atmosphere (not so much here as much as back home, the eastern part of India that is); narrow lighted streets chocked with busy hawkers; the air smelling of incense, ghee and happiness... The three-eyed and ten-handed goddess is the harbinger of good times for the Hindus, and for us women, she is the Maa (mother) from whom we draw the strength to battle evil and the fortitude to bear the worldly burdens. 

After the immersion of the idol this afternoon, though not many here in the southern part of the country, there's a sudden, pervading emptiness. Perhaps it's the accumulative nostalgia of the void since one's childhood, when we would all utter bittersweet sighs after seeing the idol sink and reappear, before finally disappearing into the silty depths of the nearby pond. Time hangs like a giant caged bird, still, yet breathing, and even the blaring highway right next to the apartment cannot wipe out the uncomfortable silence. The wind-chimes in the balcony make the only din in this otherwise empty evening.

Here's a lovely painting of Maa Durga that I stumbled upon in a nearby community puja. Until next year then...



8 comments:

  1. Hello Suman:
    What an engagingly atmospheric post this is. We were with you in those noisy, colourful streets crammed with life and promise. And, we were with you too in the silent emptiness, the pregnant pause before the celebrations start up again.

    This is a beautifully constructed and written post which has so many of the flavours, sights and sounds of an India which we have never seen but imagine in our minds' eyes. You bring it to our door and for that we are grateful.

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    1. Dear Jane and Lance, thank you for the wonderful reply; it's truly overwhelming!
      I'm glad I could show you what the Durga Puja means to us, and the universal euphoria it gives rise to in our part of the country. And the best part is, more than the religious aspect, it's the time for togetherness and absolutely unadulterated fun.

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  2. What a beautiful glimpse into another season.

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    1. Thank you for dropping by, Linda.
      Your 'haar' pictures are stunning; enjoyed all of them.

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  3. Dear Suman
    It's a wonderful post. I was in India when reading it. I really like when you say : "from whom we draw the strength to battle evil and the fortitude to bear the worldly burdens". I like your words. Thank you for sharing this important festival with us.

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    1. Dear Celine, I've just started my day and your words have already made it!
      I'm glad you appreciate Durga's symbolism. All that fanfare aside, she means more to us women than her male devotees. After all, she knows what all we have to put up with!

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  4. A Goddess to lighten the burden for women, I might easily adore her too.

    It is a universal aspect of mankind’s journey through this life that we need to celebrate. Whichever continent we find ourselves on and whichever reason we may find, there must be a time of colour, joy, celebration and, yes, a little over-abundance and over-indulgence. That is good so. We need to leave the world of cares and sorrows, of the everyday toil and trouble behind us, even if for a short time only.
    These festivals need not be religious - although they probably all start out for religious reasons, even Carnival does.

    I hope you celebrated in style and that you shared the joy with those you love (as well as everyone else!)

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    1. Like always, you said it all and how so wonderfully. Yes, one needs occasional escapes like these, or else the world would turn too bothersome a place to live on for. We did manage to sneak out for an evening with some friends, in our traditional attires. It sure felt good.

      I hope you are feeling a lot better than your last blog. Take care.

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