Pujo-accha

Went to our first pandal of the season yesterday (Oui, je suis Bengali). It was the Hauz Khas one, which is one of our staples every year, it being that my family has long links with that place. It was nice, though a bit hard on the senses though.

See we reached quite late in the evening, about 8 or so, and so there was no pujo or arati happening. It was time for all the munnas and munnis of the neighbourhood to show their talents on stage; whether it be plays, or songs or dances, whatsoever. So here we were on one side praying to Durga Thakur and there they were on the other side proclaiming it was the time to disco. At first it was sacrilege, and my outrage was exploring new bounds, but then I realized, why not?

See I just get up and come to the pandal, these people prepare, and they enjoy it because for them it might be a first step to something they are good at. And although the music was out of place, but the world is changing so you cannot have children dancing to kirtan or baul music now can you? Somehow I felt it was what was the spirit of any good festival and celebration, give everybody a chance and a place.

So Durga Pujo is something of a Christmas (see all Christmas issues of Archie) isn’t it?

But something was missing in me yesterday. Somehow I didn’t want to go. Not that I have lost my love for the occasion, not at all, but that I somehow felt the time could be better utilized (hah!!) by studying for CAT which is now just next month. That wasn’t a nice feeling.