Maa Durga -durgati nashini:
I can still smell the fragrance of seuli flower,the fog and those dawns before maa came ,it is maa Durga coming to her father's house ,with her children ,for five days .those five days were the most important days in the calendar .the heart used to build up with happiness from nearly a month on ,when vishwakarma puja finished and according to my mother's ritual Durga puja shopping started.so much suppressed joy within,the happiness built up like a crescendo to finish with bishorjon of maa in the Ganges ,her going back to her husband's house .never forgetting to whisper in her ears on the last day ,aashche bochhor abaar eshoo---that is come back again next year.i remember the day and the feeling as if someone very close and very dear had come for a visit ,now leaving.most of us cried ,there was such a tear in the heart string.those days were the golden days in my memory.no one had to wake me up ,we were up before the sun ,bathed and run to maa.as if the whole night not being in her presence were too much to bear.i was happy just being there ,no other stimulant was needed.puja ,Pradeep,smell of flowers,belpata ,all kinds of aggarbattis,fruits,noibedos ,blog ,the atmosphere,the lights ,the prayers and the happy hearts created some magic in the air.please I cannot forget the mothers who cooked all wonderful dishes
all through the day and yet had the strength to participate in all the puja activity with zeal,entertaining guests ,when I try to understand this my logic fails me ,I can only bow my head to all those wonderful ,courageous ladies ,the mothers of Bengal,I take this moment to thank them,and want to tell them I feel reverential respect for them,their energy,love,joy was infectious,then I did not understand but ,now ,at my 58yrs I feel we live in the presence of very deep,authentic,genuine human beings ,they were by far much more spiritual than the organised organisations selling spirituality of today.sob maa der amar pronam.ebar Elo boro Maa,Durga.that is now comes my Maa.
Mahalaya,heralds the advent of Durga puja ,called the agomon ,and the Sri Sri Chandi (is the book which talks about the mother or the female aspect of creation and all about the different forms she took to do the natures work ,basically the Gods created the female form with all their strenghts to destroy the asuras ) is read to call on Her and welcome her.this is done 7days before the puja starts --Navaratri starts on the next day ,but Durga pujo starts on the shoshti ,the pandals done ,decorated ,the deity usually comes on Panchami .shoshti evening thakur bodhon and Maa is established there.then saptami puja in the morning and evening,oshtomi puja in the morning and evening---then early morning of oshtomi nobomi sondhi pujo.then nobomi pujo same ,last day is dashomi where in the morning Maa pujo ,prayer,darpan bisarjan,evening the deity is immersed in the Ganges ,then shantir jaal and bijoya utsav.and all the pujo days we have Pushpanjali ,fasting .then bhog aroti ,distribution of prasad,Sri Sri Chandi paath.
Evenings too aroti ,dunuchi aroti ,bhog distribution.
For Sandhi pujo Pradeep Daan and ghee Daan is very auspicious .
Bijoya starts from dasami and goes on to Kali pujo.we go to relatives,friends houses to wish them and lots of sweets are eaten and distributed ,all kinds of delicacies are prepared its a festive a atmosphere ,each house has a special delicacy to offer and each mother wants to excell in their trade.O what joy our culture has given us ,what perceptibly thought out festival to spread good will and joy .I Love Where I was born .maa tomake pronam.
Peace be to all.God Bless.
