Kolkata Women Bid Poignant Farewell To Durga Maa With Dhak And Sindoor

That time has come yet again to bid adieu to Maa Durga. Farewell for her to return to her husband Shiva’s heavenly abode. ‘Bhashaan’ or ‘Visharjan’ which is the immersion of the Goddess is a huge affair here in Kolkata.  She leaves behind the intoxicating fervour of the beating madness of these traditional drums (dhaak) means we are wrapping up. The ebbing perfume of Shiuli flowers in bloom, the dewy smell in the air of festivity and tufts of Kaash Paalash white forests all around in the countryside prepares us for this much-awaited mega festival, literally “the mother of all celebrations” is coming to a neigh.

The ritual of ‘kanakanjali’ is performed during Durga Puja to bid farewell to the goddess before immersing her in a river. The ritual involves dressing the goddess in the proverbial red-and-white cotton saris, similar to how a daughter is sent to her in-laws' place. 

The UNESCO heritage tag has put Bengal’s emotion - Durga Puja now on a global map – Kolkata once again has successfully celebrated the largest festival of public art. It reiterates Durga Puja is celebrated by more than 4 million people in Kolkata, itself multiple times larger than the carnival in Rio Brazil or Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

Our Durga Puja is a cornucopia in cultural exchange, as a tribute to our artisans, our artists and our rich intangible heritage and culture. Even after Maa Durga leaves us, she remains in us and flows in our veins. 

Significance of Sindur Khela

‘Sindur khela,’ an integral part of Durga Puja celebrations, takes place on the final day of the festivity. Vijay Dashmi, the last day of Durga Puja, sees married Bengali Hindu women apply sindoor on the forehead and feet of the goddess. Sindoor Khela is a customary ritual of the Durga Puja celebrations in Bengali culture. It's believed to symbolize the power of celebrating womanhood in protecting her husband and children from all evil. Through this ritual, the Hindu women pray for long and happy married lives of each other in bonhomie and the true spirit of universal sisterhood.

Married women perform another unique ritual called Devi Boron where they collectively say goodbye to the goddess by drawing a betel leaf on their palms and touching it to Goddess Durga’s face, to wipe the tears off Ma Durga's face.

Durga Puja is ensconced so much into our popular culture that it has almost become the zeitgeist of the Bengalis. Even during the remaining year, we have a yearning for these days of festivities to be back so we can once again relieve the essence of Durga Puja.  

US Diplomats share their thoughts on Durga Pujo

Elizabeth Lee, US diplomat and Director of American Centre Kolkata says, “This is my second year in Kolkata, and I don’t know how the city does it, but Durga Puja seems to get better every year. This year, I was so impressed by how artists used sustainable or recycled and upcycled materials in their designs. Using sustainable materials like bamboo, jute, clay and similar items to make these towering works of art demonstrates the high level of respect artists and the communities which support the pandals have for their environment. I love how Durga Puja brings us all together, and I think that sustainable practices like those showcased this year are another idea we can all rally around together, as well.”

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The US Consul General of Kolkata Kathy Giles Diaz says, “I’ve been doing a lot of pandal hopping around Kolkata this year. Each time I visit a new pandal, it’s an exciting experience - you get to see the artist’s creativity and vision. And though Durga Puja is often a time when we talk about women’s rights and empowerment, this year, I found it especially poignant given how many women are marching in the streets, calling for recognition of the need to ensure that women and girls everywhere have access to safe environments for work, education, and more. 

I loved pandals like the AK Block Association Salt Lake, where the artist used water to create music on upturned pots and pans. I was so impressed by the Suruchi Sangha installation, where the artists used parts recycled from motorbikes to create an ocean, reminding us of the impact waste has on our natural environment. And the Chetla Agranu Club’s use of trash upcycled, and recycled materials was an impressive example of how sustainable practices can improve the world we live in.”

Learnings from Durga Pujo

PR consultant and author Rita Bhimani says, “My favourite pandal was Kasi Bose Lane — obviously with Rammohun Roy and his concepts of satidaha and the whole story depicted so powerfully with the widows descending, the detailed commentary, the roomful of portraits of emancipated women.”

Oindrilla Dutt ace moderator, events planner and owner of Open Doors says, “Dum Dum Park Tarun Dal's 'Sada O Neel' themed Puja left an indelible mark. The story of Bengal's muslin and indigo heritage, the indigo rising, British oppression in destroying our looms and industry and the vibrant indigo-clad Durga protima were truly arresting.”

This year saw many interesting themes and unique concepts during Durga Puja. Among these, the pandal built by Twirl (a store that recycles waste clothing) near Golf Green stood out for Pauline Laravoire, executive director of sustainability and social innovation at HEC Paris Business School, France. This pandal designed by Sujata Chatterjee, Founder of Twirl is made entirely of fabric waste.

“Amader Prithibi Amader Pujo” (translation: Our world, Our Puja) is symbolic of that change. Over 800 families from the locality contributed old/unwanted clothing, which was transformed by a talented all-women team into this beautiful installation. By reusing over 300 kg of waste fabrics this pandal is an award-winning example of sustainability. Additionally, Pauline and Meghdut Roychowdury, the man behind ‘Make Calcutta Relevant Again’, co-curated a unique installation where the pandal was built using recycled bottles, and the idol was made by students of Ecole Intuit Lab Design School using household waste cloth.

Pauline said, “Sindur Khela is always my favourite highlight of Durga Puja, a pure moment of celebration and togetherness that beautifully wraps up 10 days of cherished time with family and friends around Maa Durga. What I adore about this moment, is the astonishing paradox between the intensity and brightness of the colour of sindur, and the softness of the touch of your loved ones who tenderly cover your face with it.”

Another unique celebration is in Tagore Place. Dr Souraja Tagore (descendant from Rabindranath Tagore’s family) celebrates Maa Durga’s send-off through music and dance called “ thakurbarir Sarodutsab”.

The concept of addressing Goddess Durga through art was conceived in 2022 by Dr. Souraja Tagore, an artist and accomplished dancer. Here the puja is communal, there are no rituals as it is her belief that “rituals separate people”. Although preference is given to artists and performers, everyone attending is encouraged to participate.  

This 5 day ‘Anandamela’ or festival of joy is inspired by Tagore’s Anandabazar. Performances include puppetry, ‘abol tabol pala’, story-telling, sit and draw events, and of course, dancing and singing to Tagore’s music and poetry.  The normally performed ritual of Pushpanjali  (ritual using flowers) is substituted here by Shilpanjali (ritual using artistry).  The idol is redressed every year by Kumartuli artists, and only every three years is the idol immersed in the Ganges.

 In modern times women priests are breaking gender stereotypes and taking over the patriarchal scene of men performing Durga Pujas. Dr Anita Chatterjee and Dr Nandini Bhowmick are some renowned women priests among others.

Myriad feelings of joy and sorrow juxtaposed as women bedecked in jewels and finery gathered in universal solidarity preparing the entourage for the immersion (Ma Durga’s journey back home). In a city of dichotomies like Kolkata, these 10 days of celebration and warmth spread beyond the home and hearth unites all groups of people.

Views expressed by the author are their own. All photos were provided by the author