When the goddess comes home
Autumn is perhaps the most delightful season in West Bengal. Rains have almost ceased. The sky is a clear blue and the air is thick with the aroma of sweet-scented flowers like siuli and sephali. This provides an ideal backdrop for the homecoming of the Divine Mother Durga. Durga, the embodiment of shakti (power) is however accepted here as the loving daughter who visits Her parents once a year with Her children, Laxmi (Goddess of Wealth), Saraswati (Goddess of Learning), Kartik (Commander-in-Chief of the gods) and Ganesha (God of Success) for a sojourn of four days. Although the Durga puja (worship) is an event organized worldwide, nowhere is it celebrated the way it is in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the capital of West Bengal.
With the Durga puja round the corner, Pandal (marquee) makers and decorators are busy at work. Kumartuli in North Kolkata and Patuapara in the South bear testimony to the fact that this is the busiest time of the year for artisans as well. Both these places comprise an array of protimas (images) which are on the verge of completion. Several items are required to build an image and although there are a handful experimenting with new materials like ice-cream sticks, bamboo and match-sticks, velvet and bhanrs (small earthen pots) to display their innovative skills, most however prefer the traditional clay ones. Wood, cane, nails, hay, jute, cloth and paint are the basic requirements along with etel mati, kata mati and bali mati (different forms of silt). Etel mati is brought from Achipur while bali mati is the common Ganga mati available in the city.
Usually 2 to 3 people are assigned to a job. However, experienced craftsmen can work single-handedly. Hours of painstaking effort over several days are required to make an image. The adi bangla (original) colour is green but brown is gaining popularity. The construction invariably begins from the base.
Once done, the images are painted with spray machines and imparted the necessary finish with various kinds of brushes in accordance with the orders placed. Complete, the structure is then kept away from rain and provided a finer touch from time to time. Often, the finished paint is warmed so that it remains intact and does not peel off or lose its lustre. In a clay image, the portions which remain concealed are left undone in most cases but in terracotta works, the entire image has to be done up.
Pandals during the time of the pujas are a delight to watch. Each boasts of a theme depicting some famous architectural structure and competition between organized pujas is stiff. It is the same with lights. Every effort is made to have lights around the pandal with themes that are contemporary. Be it the Indian cricket captain in action or recreating a natural disaster, the expertise of the artisans has to be seen to be believed.
Food being one of the most important obsessions of the Bengalis, the goddess is fed sumptuously and it is indeed a treat to observe the varied fare that is laid out for Her. The offering of fruits and sweets begin as soon as the deity is welcomed formally with bodhon (inaugural ceremony) on Maha Sasti (first day of the puja).
On Maha Saptami, naivedya, an offering of atap chal (rice) along with bananas and sandesh (sweetmeat) or batasha (sugar candy) is laid for the 5 deities or the panchadebatas. When the kalabou (Lord Ganesha’s wife) is taken for a dip in the Holy River Ganga, joss sticks are lighted and she is also given an elaborate fare of fruits and sweets.
On Maha Ashtami day, the Goddess is offered 108 different naivedyas along with 108 lotuses. Either pulao (spiced rice) or khichudi (pulse and rice cooked together) is the main course since Ashtami is regarded as a special day.
Pantabhaat (soaked rice) along with kochusaag (vegetable) is served on Maha Nabami.
The day of Her immersion arrives and a dadhikarma, which is considered auspicious before one undertakes a journey, is prepared. It is a delightful concoction of khoi, murki, chiNre (varieties of puffed rice) curd and bananas.
By and large, baroyari puja (community worship) has replaced bonedi puja (traditional worship by aristocratic families) in Kolkata. Time was when Durga was welcomed home in style and splendour by a few aristocratic families who celebrated the pujas on a grand scale at home. Shobhabazar’s Rajbari, Hatkhola’s Duttabari, Behala’s Sabarna Chowdhurybari and some other aristocratic families drew the attention of Calcuttans who flocked to see the grandeur associated with these pujas. One such aristocratic family is the well-known Ghose family of Pathuriaghat Street.
Ramlochon Ghose bought the palatial house at 46, Pathuriaghat Street in October, 1782. The Durga puja started the NOFOLLOWing year. Governor General Warren Hastings was a guest that year. A chandni (a special terrace supported by 8 pillars) was constructed especially for the Christians who watched the ceremony from under it. It was brought down later in 1935 as it had started developing cracks.
Dr. Ananda Shankar Ghose (a scion of the family), a noted economist based in Australia, informed that almost always, Durga has had daker saaj (traditional ornamentation) and earlier, the coloured foils came from Germany. The kumors (potters) come from Kumartuli, the malakars (gardeners) arrive from Patuli in Burdwan and the Pals (image makers) come from Santipur to apply paint on the image. In early days great exponents of classical music and dance used to perform in the massive billiards room.
Dr. Ghose’s mother, Smita Ghose, added that the prayer is conducted by the priest, the tantradharak or scripture reader, a japak (chanter) doing 1008 chants and 2 people chanting names of Durga and Narayan (another name for Vishnu - the Preserver) respectively.
Sayantani, Ananda Shankar’s sister confirmed from New York that she had heard in earlier times, goats were sacrificed, but these days only chhanchi kumro (a type of pumpkin) and sugarcane are sacrificed as substitutes. She added that the bahan (vehicle) of the goddess, the lion, looks slightly different and resembles a unicorn.
Chandeliers come alive with light during sandhi puja (special prayer) and the atmosphere created is simply divine. The family has a tradition of giving bhog (food offerings) to all the visitors. For bisarjan (immersion), the image is taken in between 2 boats and as the boats move away, immersion is completed.
Smita Ghose is in Kolkata while her children Ananda Shankar and Sayantani are in Australia and the United States of America. Three continents, three different worlds. Yet as the puja approaches, the year-long wait for Durga’s homecoming fills the heart with reassurance that the great tradition of the Ghose’s will live on. The Ghose’s have proved that times change. But then again, they don’t.
* Article courtesy southasianoutlook.com
The Durga Puja in London (Picture by Probhat Banerjee)
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