ALSphere Foundation
“What are you planning to do for the Puja Vacations this year Ma?”
The voice of Bipasha, made Ila lift her eyes beyond the newspaper that she was reading. She cleared her throat and began to reply.
“Perhaps we will go to Kolkata during the Puja Bipasha. That is where everyone including Shampa Pishi, Pritha Mashi, Arup Mama, and Dola Kakima will assemble. During our childhood days,Pritha Mashi and I never came to Kolkata to attend Puja, except when I was in my seventh grade once”
Ila’s words made Bipasha wonder. She could not really understand, why her mother did not visit Kolkata during the Puja Vacations during those bygone days? With a puzzled look, she asked her mother
“But Ma, why didn’t you go to Kolkata during Durga Puja those days?
Ila’s eyes sparkled delightfully, as she began to describe the Puja vacations of bygone days.
“We spent about sixteen years growing up, in a remote town called Ramapalli. We were around twenty Bengali families living there. My friends and I used to attend craft, drawing, and Bhajan classes held in a children’s club called Balbhavan. There was an amazing library too. The Durga Puja was held on the Balbhavan premises.
The garage behind the Balbhavan was the place that we children used to head to after our drawing and craft classes every evening. It was because the idols of all the gods and goddesses were made here by Paritosh, the idol maker. We used to see him working with hay, clay, and paints. Every year your grandpa would go to Kumartuli a month prior to Puja to bring the accessories, the costumes, and other necessary things needed for the Puja.
We used to help the adults with their decorations of the pandal, after the school closed down for the ten days long vacation on ‘soshti ‘, during those bygone days. The next five days were full of fun as we celebrated Durga Puja like a family. No one cooked at home for those days. We completely enjoyed participating in dancing, singing, recitations, watching magic shows, and orchestra performances. ”
“You must be terribly missing those days Ma. Now I understand, why you never felt like visiting Kolkata during Durga Puja. But when did you visit Kolkata then ?”
Bipasha, who was listening to her mother’s engrossing details and memories.
“We went there during our summer vacation. During those days it used to take over thirty-six hours to travel after changing trains. Those long hours of the train journey, waiting for the train’s arrival for hours in the waiting rooms of Nagpur, Warrangal, or Kajipet stations are now a memory of bygone days. But we enjoyed each moment to our fullest.”
Bipasha looked at her mother engrossed, listening to the ‘ Mahalaya ‘chantings by Birendra Kishore Bhadra, Bipasha called her Uncle and aunts asking them to meet up at Ramapalli during their Puja vacation to revisit her mother’s bygone days filled with vivid memories.
