Durga Puja and the Culture of Bengal

This Durga Puja I was in Kolkata. I did not immerse much in the festivities but got a ringside view of how it is celebrated.

I also caught up on social media the constant rant about how the Puja in Bengal is impure. While some even connected it to how Bengal has gone to dogs (not a bad thing, having two at home and knowing how great they are), the majority of the comments were civil — but with anxiety on how things have gone astray and how things need to be fixed.

I think the Durga Puja in Bengal, where even so-called impure activities are social norms — like offering nonveg to the Goddes and her family or blaring Aazan in the pandal, can never be understood unless we look at the evolution of the society, and especially women in this geography.

When I was very young, in the early seventies, my parents were one of the few married couples in our locality in Durgapur.

I vividly recollect many occasions, when friends of my father, will come home in the evenings when my father was away. Always, I mean always, my mother will invite the gentleman inside the home, serve him a cup of tea, and have a chat — till my father came back. And it happened with even when the gentleman who came knocking was not known to my mother.

20 years later, when I went to Mumbai for work, I found myself in somewhat similar positions as my father’s friends I had spoken about. I was unmarried, but many of my friends had a young family. Whenever I went to their homes when the male member was absent, I will be greeted at the door and told discreetly to come back later. No question of an informal chit chat. And this was Mumbai — the most modern city in the country.

Why am I saying this? Because this is an anecdote which, in my mind, represents the social emancipation of women in Bengal.

Bengal went into an abyss of women repression in the 19th century. It had Sati, it had child marriage, it had polygamy. But it also saw significant reform s — when it bounced back it got a headstart on many other areas of India.

Women in Bengal, for a long time, has been seen as another member of the family. The girls are given education, dowry incidents are still very low, the female infanticide is virtually absent.

For example, when a lady gets married, barring some exceptions she is accepted as a daughter. There is no ghunghat, there is no seva, there is no display of respect. For example, my mom was probably more close to my grandmother than my father was — so much so she got her unstinted support on all occasions.

The same status of women, of a member of the family, there than exalted (saas) or ordinary (bahu) position, finds its reflection in Durga Puja.

So when Durga comes home with her family, she is seen as the daughter who is visiting the parents. Shive is coming to his in-laws. The children nare meeting grandparents, uncles, aunties.

Since she is visiting a large community in case of a Barwari Puja, a temporary home is made for her — the Pandal.

The days of the visit is auspicious, so the Puja happens. But more so the days are also of good fun — so increasingly the family is coming nearly and leaving late. Just as it happens in an ordinary home.

Now how do you celebrate when the near and dear ones come? You do what you enjoy doing.

Like putting up an attire which may not always be traditional. Like dressing up differently.

Having food that one enjoys. Or listen to music what one identifies with.

And that is why some Pujas offer non-veg to the Goddesses and her family on Maha Bhog of Ashtami. And play Aazan — as it happened in one very prominent Puja.

Bengal is now looking bat how the rituals can be modified so that it becomes more inclusive. Like women and/ or non Brahmins being the priest.

Or including the widow, the separated, the single, even the Others in Sindoor Khela.

Or as it started this year — gender neutralizing the Mantras. Like using Santan instead of Putra.

Will the so-called purification, what some are keen on, happen?

I don’t think so. Because the traction is towards having more fun, with more.people, in an inclusive manner.

So what the puritarians, who are concerned, do?

Just come to Bengal during next Durga Puja, and let yourselves loose. You will be converted.