These few days are somewhat calm. My city is changing itself. The traffic on the roads is more, as are the crowds on the various forms of public transport; especially the subway. The reason for that is obvious to anyone living in Kolkata- Maa ashchen.
The annual festival of Durga Puja is one that brings with it a riot of gaiety, motely bunches of people and of course the signature beats of the dhaaks. The city changes. It becomes a living entity as every nook, every cranny and every microbe falls under the spell of our visitors from far off Kailash. When you think about it, it’s a simple thing really. Five Gods come down from their abode to mingle among us mortals. One of them is the destroyer of the demon Mahisasur, who was a thorn in the Gods’ side for ages.
But it isn’t that simple. It’s more than just a festival. It’s a time for…I don’t know- discovery? Anticipation surges up in me, because my college is closing soon. My good friend from Gurgaon will be in town too. I can try that look with a kurta and jeans…
Remember that advertisement on TV? The four friends, college buddies who tossed to decide who would pay the bill? It said something very true. There are some things that need to be experienced. Adda sessions over a cup of lukewarm tea, the second it takes for you to remember that age old anecdote and share it. The list is almost endless. Just as this festival, though it celebrates something old, seems to reinvent itself each year. For each year, a boy walks out his front door, meets his friends and is awestruck yet again. Hence my anticipation.
Maa Ashchen.
The Bilge Master
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