Thursday, October 6, 2011

Sobaike BijoyDoshomi -r Priti o Subecha

There are some days in the year when you realize that a counter is being re-set.

Take the day when salary is being credited in your account :-)
It is an amazing day. Your account has the highest figure for the month. & then... sigh...

Birthdays... I know some of us are very sad when it is over. Are you one of them who count the next 365 days? If you are then you must be really young. Surprisingly i realized that as i grow older 'Birthday' is losing it sheen. Now i am waiting... no i am actually looking forward to my cousin's 25th b'day... so that i can say "welcome to the old brigade". He had pushed a pin on mine saying i had joined the 'old brigade'.[[I have become that vindictive :-p or that touchy with age :-o]]

Some friends of mine in US look forward for the 'Black Friday Shopping'
A bigger section in US must be counting days to Christmas.
A large section of this world would have re-set their counter for Id al-Fitr

I belong to a group of people who call them-selves Bangali. Bengal celebrates Durga Pujo as there is no tomorrow
There are lot of people whose livelihood centers this festival. For them counting days takes a different proportion. Irrespective of them, ask any Bengali & they will agree without any thought that this is their most awaited days of the year.
Yes Durga Pujo for a Bengali is just not a religious occasion.
Dosomi or the 10th day of the auspicious lunar month 'Devi Pokho' is the day when the festivities come to an end. & it ends on the note 'Ashche Bochor Abar Hobe'. Hard to translate the essence of the phrase, but remotely it translates to 'next year once more...'
Actually we start counting the days to the next Durga Pujo

Couple of years ago a Bengali blogging friend of mine started his blog as "I am a Bengali and am proud to be one."...
He went on to describe a Bong. Is a Bong, a mutated or evolved or uber(watever i think it means) Bengali? Found almost everywhere?
After the British it has been the Bongs who have colonised the world. Check your city. If there is no Durga Puja within easily reachable (read motorable / flyable) of your vicinity then wait... Another decade &... :-)

Jokes apart I would like to wish all Greetings

Let me try & take you through a stereotypical Bong's life
Born in a Bengali family, every year he(nothing in particular but could have been a she as well) has been celebrating Durga Pujo.
Now he has been out of his "desh" Bengal for some time. & every year he is not being able to celebrate at his home ie the place he was born his Bong natures increases a slight notch higher

Myth has it that Devi Durga went back to her Fathers house with her kids for a visit during this time & this homecoming is celebrated. Meteorologically the weather in Bengal is best. Right at the end of Monsoons. I firmly believe that Monsoons is the best time to be anywhere in India. But i think Bengal is at its best during Durga Puja.

Myth also has it that Lord Ram prayed to Devi Durga before killing Ravan. She for her own reasons gifted Ram some weapons on the 6th day of the lunar month.
In Bengal the holiday starts from this day onwards. Well for every Bengali even if he or she is working, celebrations of the homecoming has started with the Protima (figurine) at the Pandal
For a Bong this was the day of start of fun. Full holidays start whatever the situation.
Seventh day passes as Lord Ram fights Ravan.
The saga comes to an end on the end of the 8th day when Lord Ram finally vanquishes Ravan.
A Bengali prays at the closest Pandal.
Hence on the auspicious 8th day a Bong must pray at some place. He hunts for a Pandal. In a city like Bangalore significantly away from Bengal, he would end up finding one easily. If not available & there are 10 more around then the very next year there is going to be one Durga Pujo there

The ninth day is the day of celebration. After all the story is always tilted towards the victorious
As the peak of the holiday the 9th day is the most endearing. I cant show statistics lot of incident happens on this day. Every Bengali must meet the near & dear ones. All people come home. Big family dinner.
A Bong on this day must collide at least with N number of Bongs. The number N varies on the variables:
1. Proximity to Bengal
2. Population of Bengali resident in that geographic location
3. Length of time away from Bengal
4. Activity in social life
5. Affinity to social media sites
6. Age of the Bong
7. Number of close friends in that region
8. Number of friends in that region
9. Family size
10. Family income
11. Number of adda sessions in the previous month
12. Work Pressure
13. Association type to any person in the organising committee
14. Regularity of meetings of organising committee
15. Availability of options to organising committee
16. Amount of in-fighting
17. Availability of fish
18. Availability of Bong resturants
19. Error component :-)

Myth has it Ravan was a great king. A brilliant person. Had he been victorious then the myth would have surely been different & may be history too. The last rites for him were performed on the 10th day.
Myth also has it that this is the day when Devi Durga left along with her kids
For a Bengali this is the last day of the festivities. Bijoy Dosomi. With a tear in the eye The Protima is sent off. Priti (Love) & Subecha (Greetings) are shared with all.

I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone Bijoy Dosomi r Priti o Subecha

1 comment:

Jhinku said...

Nice composition , in particular the description of what Durga puja for any Bengali.