Your love is what quenches our thirst when we are scattered with all our thoughts. We don’t know where to move and where to look at. From the first few weeks of this month, our heart thumps faster, just anticipating the homecoming of Maa Durga- the glaring beauty. Coming from a family where I have witnessed a whole hearted Bengali and Odia Culture, it won’t be exaggerating to say that we spend over a significant span of time planning and deciding the entire schedule of enjoyment during Durga Puja.
Don’t forget to count on the multiple sets of clothes, especially the morning and the evening outfit backed up with an emergency one. Oh ! my mouth keeps watering when I imagine the warm khichudi, begun bhaja as the bhog in the pandal along with the never undeletable dishes of the Bongs like egg roll, muglai parota and kababs with bhaper mach. You get a whole runway to game on anything and everything you like.
And why not! After all, children are more close to their mothers for every little thing and when it is the Goddess herself how can her children not enjoy every moment of these ten days in welcoming and cuddling ‘Maa’. Whether in Rain or Shine, you have listened when our child like heart cries for you, calls you to protect us, help us from all evils – beautiful always your glistened face smiles and you take us into your arms to make us feel sheltered.
Prior to all these ten days , the ambience is exactly similar to make one feel just before the unravelling of something extremely big or you can say something similar to climbing a mountain and before reaching the peak of the most awaited point. It all starts with the Puja shopping in every nook and corner of the streets and eventually with the Asthami Puja unveiling the show with the reverberating rythm and sounds creating butterflies in your stomach, when you hear the ‘dhak’.
Oh! This is a feeling which only creates goose bumps when the dhakis first begin to play their beat along with the echo of the conch shells which brings in a divine feeling.
The day of Navami is when Maa pours down her blessing on each one of us to lessen our pain- to heal our sorrows and infuse so much of patience, love, courage and self effulgence to fight the battle of life again till the next year of her home coming.
She is the abode of Love Unconditional who came to show us her presence.
The Queen of Queens as all say, who makes you feel secure. When danger assails you – you simply cry Maa and forget everything else when you close your eyes and dearest Maa has never failed to hold you in her arms.
You come to me in all forms, I feel you, I touch you, I cry for you and I love you. You have taught me to spread love – love to those limited human beings who cross my path. Feel alive, feel joy of my every breath which is gifted by you. Your presence is felt every single day, yet I don’t know why it feels like chocking my throat on the last day of your ten days celebration. May be again – this is a feeling.
The celebration of ‘Life’ and ‘Living’ more than anything else is the true essence felt during Durga Puja. The joy and expression of every heart is felt since people break into laughter these few days.
And then finally she rides and rides…. leaving her marks in the form of smiles on each face, wiping their tears and creating miracles all around – which again is a feeling to her eternal presence.
