Durga Puja and Dussehra Memoirs

Take 4 - Rita Sinha

My childhood memories of Durga Puja starts and ends in the small Durga Puja pandal of Unit 4 AG Colony.

My unforgettable memories of Durga Puja start with Baba taking us to a gents’ tailor in Unit 4 market for tailoring our dresses. I liked the bell bottom pants and (Neetu Singh's) elephant-ear sleeves. The number of inches of bell bottom flares obviously reduced after delivery due to my mother’s conspiracy.

Now, comes the most awaited days of Durga Puja. My nostalgic memories of Durga Puja are Durga Ma, partially hidden in the aroma-mixed jhuna smoke during aartis, the  huge lotus garland around her neck, her long black hair, the sound of Dhak, the khichidi bhog blended with a unique puja mixed flavour, the Dhunuchi dance after sandhya aarti, the sindoor khela..... etc.  (I can add the numbers non-stop).

Other amusements included the small mela where I think world's best lemonade, lembu khatta ice cream, sonpapri, chat and dahibara used to wait for me.  The world's best cinema theatre used to come to is in an open space under the sky with a biiiig white screen tied to two long bamboo pillars with a projector.  I once got a chance to watch 'Awara' for one hour. (The screen name of the heroine, Rita, attracted me more!)

On the day of Ashtami, tasty, tasty curries and non-veg items were cooked by Ma at home. But my mind was always in the khichdi bhog of the pandal.

Gradually comes the day of Dussehra. Ma used to spend the day preparing coconut laddu, sondesh, nimki, khaja, and ghugni. Didi and I were appointed as assistants in nimki cutting.

Finally, comes the pathetic day of Bisarjan when I used to literally cry .

Last but not the least, came the time to rest. This particular time my sisters and I used to get fever all at the same time. Ma and Baba's scolding used to work more than medicines here.

After all this fun, was the most disliked memory: the school opening.

Friends, we all are witnesses of all the changes in the world from the past decades to till today. So enjoy every moment of your day. You will never get back the day you have already spent. We can again write a story after decades about this day.