Take 17 - Minakshi Mishra
My Durga Puja memories from childhood are feeble unlike
those nostalgic ones from Ganesh or Saraswati Puja which were hosted by Ushalok
club at Master Canteen. All I recollect
is telling my Ma that I'd someday like to go with her to Cuttack to see Durga
Puja there since I had only seen the beautiful silvery/ glittery "medhas"
in passing glances while accompanying my best friend Sucha to and from her
Aai’s home by car.
In Bhubaneswar those days, if any puja pandal was somewhat
far away, meaning not in the neighborhood, it was deemed out of bounds for some
reason. Of course, my own Aima made sure that pujas at home had such elaborate
preparation and pithas that everyone around felt tremendous enthusiasm
for them. The very memory of the colors
and costumes and the general happiness that pervaded the streets during this
time is bittersweet now – happy it happened, but now unable to reach back in
time and experience it once more.
I experienced Durga Puja fervor in essence when we went
pandal-hopping in Bombay during the 90s. In a typical big-city approach, the
pandals are glitzier, larger, yet better organized. And, very famous and attract huge crowds. I
remember going with a large group of friends from the office – in an assortment
of vehicles. We lived in Borivali but met with the group at a Durga Puja in
Vile Parle/ Juhu; the size of the crowd was awe-inspiring, and Bollywood
celebrities were scheduled to visit including Usha Uthup! They offered us jhal-moodhi and cha
in earthen cups, a true Bengali tradition. Traffic on Mumbai roads are
legendary, more so on such special occasions, but we were intrepid enough to
then go for the Powai pandal near Hiranandani gardens, which is renowned for
innovative themes, for the evening aarti. Then we hopped over to the nearby
Chembur Durga Puja which was also the local haunt for all our HPCL colony
residents. This one is particularly
famous for the variety of food available, though the crush of devotees can
evoke fear at times. My memory goes hazy after this.
What I do miss, as much as the food and the gaiety, is the
feeling of closure at the end of each puja.
During the Visarjan, everyone would get emotional because of the
feeling of the Deity going away, leaving empty pandals and heavy hearts. Here
in South Florida, that is not the case. Durga Maa goes to her storage location
and reappears year after year looking exactly the same.
