Durga puja: the El dorado of Festivals
A city-life weaved with nostalgia, art, culture and flashing colors, Kolkata lives up to its name ‘the City of Joy’. Like a wide open window, Autumn comes with your chance to wander along the busy streets and explore this city’s true essence. As the walls fill up with banners and roads get narrowed with decorations, it's your sign to take a breather and hop on for an overwhelming journey. Where pulled rickshaws meet mustard yellow ambassadors, and spectators from across the globe gather around to witness the mesmerizing collection of art installations–The world famous street art festival Durga Puja is a once in a lifetime experience indeed! Do you wish to know more about this UNESCO recognized fiesta, which is much more than just ethnic elements, stories, and celebrations of life? Walk along with us.
Once you fasten your seatbelts for this rollercoaster ride, the beginning of this festival must be mentioned! Since months preceding the autumnal celebration, every corner of Kolkata is decked up in lights and semi-permanent art installations. By the Ganges River Banks, the festival draws its first footsteps when the artisans begin collecting clay. For the next four-six months, the workshops at Kumartuli or the pottery lanes of north Kolkata drown under the heavy spell of creation. Intricate idols, impeccable vision and creative frenzy– you must think that the generational artisans have ‘magician’ as their middle name! Using rice husk and jute fibers over bamboo, human hands give shape and life to the deity for a change.
Have you seen a workshop for handcrafts up close? The elements are torched and melted and fumed to bring out a unique blend of all. Consider an artisan in the street art festival as such, pitting traditional clay work against modern ideas, striking matches while brainstorming. Yet, any creation is incomplete without the embellishments! Following the old-fashioned route, Indian embellishments like Zari are used to embellish the idols and installations. Stiff fabrics and brocade materials are handmade in rural Bengal. Also, for added bling white pith or ‘Shola’ is often used to bring a regal white touch to the décor.
If you are interested in the stories revolving around Durga puja, and even planning on hitting the road for it, there is one thing you must know! Extravaganza of festivity knows no limit in this city. The creators or organizers can go to extensive lengths to make their art installations stand out more than the others. Imagine a pandal or artistic marquees, built as the spitting image of Disneyland, Eiffel tower, or made of bizzarre elements like mirrors, pins etc. Idols covered in gold and diamonds from head to toe. From shabby corners of a workshop to a spectacular installation, open to thousands of spectators to visit and appreciate.
A street art festival is almost inconceivable without roads filled with art enthusiasts, installations, and mostly decorative items. Above your head, you will notice lights of different sorts hanging across the city, beneath your feet will be elaborate designs known as ‘alpona’, painted with extreme elegance. The roads turn into absolute free zones, where people enjoy the music, have delectable foods and line up to visit the marvel at the art. Even in the farthest corner of the city, the huge marquees fitted in narrow alleys will astonish you.
The festival is a celebration of life, art inspired from humans and Bengali culture running through the veins of the city. Traditional know-hows of idol making coalesces with the contemporary pulse of art and understanding. The celebration continues for five days at least. Mahalaya: the day marks the commencement of ‘Devi paksha’ or the arrival of the goddess amidst her subjects. The idol makers draw eyes on the idols to bring light and life to them. Shashthi: As the first day of the festival, this marks the unveiling of the idol’s face and reveals the astounding creation to the spectators. Saptami: the essence of Durga puja lies in the oldest Northern parts of the city. From Saptami onwards the zamindar houses of north Kolkata start their extravagant celebrations. Ashtami: being the most important day of the festival, Ashtami is in an all-time hype for its Anjali (a ritual) and Bhog(traditional food). This day is often regarded as the peak of festivity. Navami: the final day of the worship, beginning with the holy ‘Sandhi Puja’, this marks the end of the festival.
The wrapping up of this widely awaited festival is a painful sight even for the bravest of hearts. As Dashami or the tenth day of Devi Paksha comes forth with the message of Goddess returning to her own abode, the idols are immersed in the Ganges. Temporary art installations worth millions of rupees, no matter how aesthetically pleasing and splendid they are, get removed and destroyed. The entire Bengali livelihood comes to a standstill,all preparations that have been going on for months are retracted after five days. Roads are cleaned, idol clay returns to the riverbanks and artisans depart to their workshops with new ideas and a year-long wait.
