Maa Kali - my own deity part2

Part 2----

All our relatives,some close family friends,neighbours and all who worshipped Maa Kali came for 

Pujo and everyone that came had to have prasad after the pujo was over -it used to be a big crowd and all the ladies of the family took care of it.Here one special mention must be made,in all the steps of this function my brother was a perticipant ,I believe at the age of five he started to 

work at everything for the pujo,including the alpona,he used to do the alpona.remember the pujo day they had to fast totally - O I cannot fast.so my lot was dressing up and distributing the boxes of sweets to friends,neighbours and relatives.putting Diyas around the house.we never did fire crackers .

The pujo starts ,the whole look of my parents is changed to serenity itself ,the whole atmosphere is absolutely pregnant with divine presence,it was so sacred and beautifully .all would be totally bathed in that ocean of the divine.the chanting of the mantras,the fragrance of dhoop,aggarbattis,flowers ,the prasad ,us all enthralled,the sound of dhak.pujo is magical.it used to be a calm,contented air around us .kali pujo finishes .then next day evening bishorjon,we all went to the Ganga to say good bye to maa.and all cried as if someone very close to you was going away.

Now I cannot help but share an event that happened to me during the pujo of 1978.I was in college and we used get the best chicken roll ,it used to melt in the mouth.By the way ,now I am a 

vegetarian .there was but one day for Kali pujo ,I went to college ,and my favourite relative was my Mejoma ,who had already come for pujo .and I wanted her to taste this awesome chicken roll.so I got it for her,and very proudly took it out and told her 'Mejoma I got this for you please taste' she was dumbfounded and said 'throw it away ,what have you done,'but as luck would have it ma from somewhere came budging in saying all the dramatic things possible ,you can imagine the house was cleaned of any trace of nonveg and here I go bringing in chicken into that pure area.Ma was livid,Mejoma tried to pacify her but to no avail.and I was standing there like a stone could not move ,the gravity of the situation having hit me.Believe you me ,I did not do it knowingly,I just forgot.I was very sorry and beyond repair.Then I do not clearly remember because I think my every faculty froze.ofcourse the rolls were thrown out and the whole house had to be washed again,but the important part was the bishorjon ,I was sitting on the steps of the Ganga and a fire cracker called the urontobri ,which is thrown up in air From somewhere came and landed on my head,in the usual process this should burn you badly ,I did get burnt but very nominal,nothing serious happened to me.The whole family ,my ma specially came to me saying see what happened you got the chicken rolls,I felt fear touch me but then I thought how can Maa be 

anything but love ,She cannot harm Her own child .Can She? Never. And believe it or not there was no blister on my head ,or any harm to my hair ,it was as gorgeous as always .......this is a miracle.She is my Mother.

Peace be to all.God bless.