Durga Puja 2007 in Bangalore

Durga Pujo is a very a special occassion in a every bengali's life. Born and brought up in bengal, it definitely has a tremendous effect on me too. The waiting for the festival, the festivities, then the sadness of realization that the puja has ended for the year and we have to wait for the next year are part parcel of this festival.

After celebrating in a small way in US for the last 6 years, this year I got the chance to celebrate in India. Though not in as grand a scale as in West bengal, Bangalore celebrations were not bad. I heard that there are almost 40 pujo throughout Bangalore.

I could go to three pujas in Bangalore. They were at Koramangala (organize by Sarathi Socio-Cultural Trust), Jayamahal and Ulsoor. All the places were bubbling with energy. The fantastic thing was they were open to all and not closed to members only. Thank god, that gave me the chance to enjoy some yummy bhog at these places :-)

On Panchami, we went to the Ulsoor Bengali Association pujo. That was just the beginning. The pujo mantap was being set up. There was Ananda Mela and some children's events happening.

Sarathi trust had organized cultural programmes on all the days from Panchami. These programmes were performances by bands like Cactus, Zubani, Kohal and then dance performances. You would not get these all the 4 days in US :-).

When Durga Pujo is here, how can food be far ? Yummy khichudi bhog, potol torkaari, rosogolla, tomato chutney kept me busy for the three days. :-) Somehow during these days nothing else tastes good.

अगर

agar kal aakhrii din hotaa
to main aaj kyaa kartaa
jo vakt main aise bitaataa hoon
kyaa vaise main bitaataa ?
shaayad nahiin !!
kyoonki jitane khvaab
dil men samaaye huye hain
soye huye hain
shaayad aaj jaag uthate
aur mujhme
bechainii sii samaa jaatii
jo mujhe majaboor kar detii
sochne par
ki kitne khwaab poore huye
aur kitne adhoore rah gaye
dil se chhotii sii aawaaz
mujhse poochhtii
kaisaa rahaa safar
tay kaise huaa
jude huye khwaab
chehre pe roshnii laa dete zaroor
adhoore se khwaab maayoosii
lekin ek adhooraa khvaab
zaroor poorii kartaa
taaki ek to kam ho jaaye
khwaab kuchh adhoore
kuchh poore
hameshaa rah jaate hain
magar is safar ki
yaadon se paribhaashaa hotii
jitanaa pyaar is safar men milaa
us pyaar se paribhaashaa hotii
khushii se main is kitaab ko
bandh kartaa kyoonki
kvaabon ki koee parisiimaa nahiin hotii

Note : Hindi transliteration was becoming illegible. So keeping it in English. But read them as hindi

वक़्त बीत गया

कुछ समझने में बीत गया
कुछ समझाने में
कुछ देखने में बीत गया
कुछ दिखलाने में
कुछ खुशियों में बीत गया
कुछ आसुओं में
मुस्कराहट होंठों पे लिए
हम चल पडे मंज़िल को लेकिन
कुछ को साथ लेने में बीत गया
कुछ से बिछड़ने में
बेचैनीयों के साथ आती रही
आशाओं की लहरें भी
कुछ बादलों में बीत गया
कुछ हवाओं में

Durga Pujo -- A Bengali Poem expressing memories

In response to a question : Pujo ki kore kat to?

Baah shundor daarun proshno
Jaar jowaab bhebe bhebe
Mone pore jaai shei chhotto belaar kothaa
Niye aashe aasthe aasthe
Ei mone ojaanaa bethaa

Pujo r modhye jonmo nilaam
Pujo r maajhe bodo holaam
Pujo r maati te khele khele
Pujo r smriti te haariye gelaam

Somoi jei kaachhe aastho
Utsaahe te mon phule uthto
Notun poshaaker lobhe montaa
paagol hoye laafiye uthto
School e chhuti aashbe
ei bhebei
sesh diner opekha shuru hoye jeto

Oh cycle repair koraate hobe
Jaate beraano jete paara jaai
Tyre e to pump dite hobe
Jaate Joydeb thek Gamon jaawaa jaai

Oh Joydeb e aami pushpaanjali debo
Tansen e mishti konya dekhbo
Central e Shombhu r ice cream khaabo
Taar por rowaana hobo Cement Park er dike

Baadi phirte phirte dupur hoye gelo
Maa opekhya koraao chhede dilo
Jaane kichhu na kichhu keyei aashbo
Chhele taake aar naa thaamaano gelo

Dupure aami baadi phirlaam
Berote hobe bikele aabaar
Central e boshe eibaar aaaddaa debo
Somoi kore kintu puchkaa o khaabo

Chaar dine sei mosti taa
Kokhono phire aar aashe naa
mon bhore bhore aanondo
chaar din chhaaraa thaake naa

Chaar din ki kore je kete gelo
Bhujei uthte paarlaam naa
Abaar aashbe pujo aasthe bochhor
Opekhya koraa chhaarlaam naa

Dhaak er aawaaz aajo kaane
beje uthe theek somoye
ene bhaalobaashaar diner smriti
mon jele uthe aaloye

Aaj dure aachhi shei durgapur theke
Bondhu der kotha mone pode jaai
Aaakasher dike jei taakaai
Purono diner chhobi toiri hoi

-- By Sastry

Gandhi Jayanti And Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti

Wishes to everyone reading this blog, on this occasion.

A question that has been coming to my mind is, should it be a holiday? That is, should it be a non working day?

The same is true about any event or any religious festival etc. Does that mean that the celebrations that need to be done require the day to be a non working day?

Why cant we celebrate but still continue working?

I wonder if Mahatma Gandhi would have been happy if he saw that today , to celebrate his birthday, the whole nation is sitting idle.

In a nation dreaming to be developed, I wonder if it is worth letting one day go off like this...

Well, as a coincidence this year, I guess many people are glued to TV sets watching India Australia cricket match. I wonder about this celebration.

Happy Birthday Gandhiji.... I can be 200% sure that a great human being like you who tirelessly, constantly working hard to give us the freedom, will not be delighted to see your nation folks have called it a day off and the excuse they give is celebrating your birthday....

But you will be happy to see some section though who are taking this opportunity to fight for justice, holding candle light vigils in solidarity with farmers. So there definitely is a section working tirelessly following your footsteps.