Two Durgas! Inspired me, both awesome

[Ya Devi Sarva Bhooteshu Matri Roopena Samsthita
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namaha]

(Devi, who art manifest in all existence as
mother I worship thee, over and over and over again.)

First, I am talking about Goddess Durga

The real festive season in India kicked up with Ganesh Puja and then you will find one after another. Today is Maha-Sasthi, is the first day of Durga Puja. Sitting at my home in Kolkata I can hear all those Drum Beats from puja pandals. Coming five days Kolkata will never sleep. Now these days, festivals make not much different to me, it is like any other day, my only point is that I will get a well-deserved 10 days break and try to escape from all these hustle and bustle and move far from Kolkata. This year also no exception, tomorrow I am leaving. Still I cannot just disassociate myself from this Durga Puja. It played a significant role since my early days.

In my early days, Durga Puja meant a lot. It was total freedom, no school and long break from study, new cloths, pocket money (rare on those days), new shoes, painful shoe bite and blisters. All those days Rain God used to very kind and affectionate to autumn, we used to get heavy downfall during pujas. Those days Durga Puja was the mirror of real Bengal and Bengali culture. Today it is just a business run by money power and show.

In Jammy (Jamshedpur), it was always home away from home for me, Durga Pujas were bit quite affair compare to Kolkata, still we enjoyed a lot. There were only two or three clubs where Durga Puja used to celebrated, the sleepy town used to get a shot and we enjoyed every bit of it.

In Mumbai (Bombay), things were different and during these periods, I lost Durga Puja somewhere and memory of Durga Puja, which lived in me, died young. Last 9 years since I came back here I could not able to give a new lease of life to it. I am only talking about dying memory of Durga Puja and not Durga.

Sab Charitra Kalponik (All Characters are Imaginary)

I am not a hyper Sensitive person, but this character is very much in me all the way and still kicking.

The Other Durga -

The other Durga, she died young, very young and still my heart bleeds for her on a rainy day. I am talking about Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's famous book ‘Pather Panchali’, made more famous by Great Satyajit Roy. However, those read the book would find the book is standing tall; I first read it when I was eight. Thinking my kiddy days and all those crazy summer afternoon in Kolkata, I find a lot similarity between Durga and me. Nevertheless, Durga died, very young and I survived because on a rainy day I never sneaked to my neighbour garden to collect few raw mangos and when I was sick, my father able to afford proper medicine for me. I got all Durga longed for – toys, foods, schooling and those sweets, for which Durga have to walk along with sweet seller with bit hope. After so many years I am still angry with writer, why and why he have to kill Durga, and so young. While writing this I am still emotional, I shut my eyes and get a feeling of few drops tears just knocking my closed eyes. Is I am crying for Durga or myself?

!!!!No! How Durga can die? Both will live with me in my heart and with those who are as crazy as BeeeBeees.!!!

Romancing the Season [in monsoon mai aur badal dono hi crazy hawa ke sang Pagal]

[Ruth Aa Gayi Re Ruth Chhaa Gayi Re,
Peeli Peeli Sarson Phoole Peele Peele Patte Jhoome
Peehu Peehu Papiya Bole Chal Baag Mein]

Summer: Summer, Summer go away come again another day
Fiery Sun God is very active with all its fire power and ammunition. These days of long, boring summer just take away all my feelings, leaving behind a high and dry BeeeBees. Even my heart longs for a few drops of fresh blood. Nevertheless, summer has to be there. Talking about global warming, summer may be a better option than the ice age.

[Esho hey Baishakh, Esho Esho, Taposh O nishasho Baye, Mumursure Dao Urdaye . .]
(Come, oh Baishakh (April)! come, Breathing the fragrance of meditation. . . . .Tagore)

Monsoon: Barkha Rani, why not Barkha Raja? Gender Biased?  Barish will be better, and in my mother tongue, Bristi is more sweet, like rassogulla (mistti).

 Rain and my early Kolkata (Calcutta) days were very messy affairs, with muddy and slippery roads and a full stop to all outdoor activities. Rain and my romance started when I moved to Jammy (Jamshedpur). A planned town covered with green umbrellas, those thunderstorms, heavy rains, and cool breezes are still fresh in my memory. This is the season to not only have feelings but also something to look at. I like everything about it, no matter what the situation. A gloomy sky, crazy passing winds, and a few droplets try to caress me; I just look up and give a bright welcome smile.

[Pagla Hawa Badol Diney Pagol Amar Mon Jegey Othey]

(On a cloudy day when crazy breeze are passing, my heart start dancing all the way - Tagore)

Autumn: All of a sudden I fall in love with Sun, yes, that same Sun, change of mood, no, I am not a moody fella, a small piece of weak sun rays peeping through my window just reminds me that all sunny days are not fiery ones, some of those sunny days are also cute and funny days. A tiny piece of cloud left behind tries to find its own way through the blue sky, playing hide-and-seek with the sun and moon. The drumbeat of Durga puja or Navaratri and the fragrance of seuli (Prajakata)—the combo is just nostalgia.

[Eseche sarat himer paras legeche hawar pare, sakal belay ghaser dagay shishirer choya lage]
(Autumn (Sarat) is here, just feel the cool breeze and presence of morning dews on the top of grass – Tagore)

Winter : Thandi Hawa Yeh Chandni Suhani..../also reminds me the poem of Robert Frost - Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.

This is my second home, Sili Hawa, or Chilly Hawa sab chalega. Always enjoy every bit of dripping mercury; sad mercury never drips that way these days. Winter means early morning lazing around, winter means blue sky, winter means feeling fresh with a cold-water bath, winter means foods and lots of foods, and winter means weight gain. In winter, apart from this weighty affair, everything feels good.

[Shiter Haway laglo Nachon, laglo Nachon Amlokir Oy daley daley . .]
(Winter breeze dancing and dancing through those amlaki (amla) trees - Tagore)

Spring: My early memories of spring belong to my school days, when we used to celebrate Basant Uttsab (Spring Festival), a beautiful musical extravaganza. Slowly, one day it was just meaningless to me, but today, when cuckoos start singing, I cannot resist walking to my window and trying to locate them on the tree top. No! Cuckoos are not the ones or their beautiful singing that actually draw me to the window.

• I just want to locate the foolish crow and its nest. Why again and again these foolish creatures fall prey of those lazy cuckoos?

[Fagun hawai hawai Korechijey daan, Amar apon hara pran, Amar badhan chera pran ..]
(I have contributed my selfless soul, My soul bereft of all ties To the Fagun breeze - Tagore).

While romancing the seasons, I try to pay a little tribute to Tagore, also end with it.

[Din Guli mor sonar khanchay roilo na, roilo na, sei je amar nana ranger dinguli]
!!!Sad, that I am not able to keep my old days in a golden cage, all those my
multi-colour days !!!

The Guru : To Miss, Sir and ….. with love

In India, Gurus or teachers respected like anything and if you go by the old saying then they stand even above the GOD.  Most oldest and respected professional of the world consider to be Doctors and Teachers and sadly, these so called professionals unable to hold their places and their greed only responsible for this. Last week was the teacher’s day and I do not know whom to blame for this, but there is exception and there will be always.

I take the opportunity to say thanks to all my teachers, whatever I am today, for them only. My all journeys and every steps are belongs to them. I am not talking about the school or college teachers only. There are so many others –

• The books, which left lasting impression on me, the writers were my teachers.
• When an unknown fellow just give me a smile, teaches me how to smile for nothing.
• When somebody give away last penny to someone else, teaches me pleasure of giving.
• 
  
  The handicapped one try to achieve an unbelievable goal, teaches me to be patient and dedication. Thumbs Up to all my known and unknown teachers

One small incident which I want to share with you, when I was studying computer (FPH, Mumbai), I was having a friend who was handicapped by polio, one day while we were walking near Haji-Ali, a bunch of papers just slipped through her hand, and she picked up each and every sheet herself only, never allowed us to help her. I learned a lot from her on that day.

Learning never ends, I started with my guitar lesson and not one or two, I have three teachers. I am trying my best and hope; I will learn a few notes and chords, because guitars are not permitted in final journey. (Happy teacher’s day to my Guitar Teachers)

I never thought one day I will be a teacher, but today I am one of them and I think this happen to me by fate and not by choice. I am teaching and mater of fact may be enjoying. My students and myself always maintained a special relation and we always compliment each others. Hi KP! (Dadar) Are you reading? And SB…(Hawa Hawaii), big thanks, you are very lucky because god gave you peoples a big heart. On 5th, my students of all ages came with beautiful cards, flowers, chocolate, painting and gift. Frankly speaking, it was bit-embarrassing moment for me.

When writing this piece all of certain I realised that all of my students are big big fool, I should wish them on 1st April all fools day, because they never realised a small thing that actually they are my teachers. Yes! It is because of them I learned so much and mater of fact they all are my teachers –

!!!Hi! Studs.. Happy teacher’s Day to all of you. Keep teaching me.!!

Choli Ke Upar Kya Hai….

Excuse me!!! This is not an 18+ topic, because I am not an investigator and never tried to go beneath. What is beneath belongs to Subhash Ghai. I am just talking about above, so do not take me other way.

Dress sense is the best sense

Those days are gone, now wear whatever you like. See these designer clothes or I should say designer threads, with magnifying glass you can find few threads (around the assets). However, in my knowledge assets are those –

- protected and may be hidden.

Never mind, I never had that much money to buy designer stuff and never ever interested to do so. When I was in aboard and until early nineties I preferred a pair of jeans or pants and a T or a shirt, still I think it was best and most comfortable dress for moving.

Today, you can see good advertisement of undergarment even while people wearing a pair of jeans.

Recently one India’s best-known former journalist and owner of a film production house wrote in an e-paper, that Saris are best for women, he find women looks very sexy. Mr. PN…, please drapes yourself with one six yards and just travel 9am Ambarnath fast local from Dombivli to VT, if one thread out of six yards left on you, then Sexy? Yeah!!

Of course, exceptions are always there, my Christian friend from Dombivili, almost 5’7” frame wearing sari everyday and used to travel with us, always stand out in the crowd. You cannot ignore her, as six yards and she, just made for each other. Then my mother with all those white Tant sari, 5’1” tall, very fair (none of us looked like her) she used to look like a white angel.There was a rare occasion when I used to wear a sari, once some beautiful chiffon sari I bought from aboard and often we used to have a sari days in our office. My friends always told me I looked better in Saris, but wearing sari means working overtime, an alarm clock have to fix at least one hour early than my normal scheduled time. Why waste time? My Dress code is –
- Covering self with comfort and not time-consuming one.

Hawa me urta jaye mera rangeen Dupata chiffon ka

Yes after I stopped wearing pants, for no reason, I preferred Salwar kameez and it is my second best comfort zone, but this dupatta is always a bit of tricky affair, once in a crowded train, my dupatta was under my feet and somebody else on my shoulder and I almost got down from train, thank god at last moment I realize that I was under a free rent-a- dupatta scheme.

Aap ruchi kaho aur app ruchi pahno, with dignify quotient. Dressing sense show your family value, I tried my best to follow, but now these days mantra is - Wear whatever you like and for the missing threads around your bod you can blame it on something than other, like –

!!!Global warming!!!