Gurgaon: Autumn in much of the land is a time of happy anticipation, when fragrant dusks make way for festive nights. But this year the alfresco rapture of Durga Puja will be missing, even if our faith remains strong.
In Gurgaon, as elsewhere in India, members of the Bengali community are caught between sentiment and reality. For the sake of societal wellbeing, they understand they must forgo the ambitious pandals and eye-catching idols, the food stalls and the music, dance and drama. Grandness must give way to intimacy, if only for a year. Thus, many are opting for the simple and unadorned Ghot puja, in which an earthenware vessel takes the place of the Pratima, without diluting any of the symbolism of the occasion.
Every Puja collective in Gurgaon’s 25-strong Joint Puja Committee is in touch with the district administration (and their local police station), for all the necessary permissions and the official standard operating procedure. Each safety guideline will be strictly adhered to, but, at the same time, all rituals will be observed in line with sacred convention.
“To maintain the tradition, we will be having a very small Puja,” reveals Kaushik Bandopadhyay of Maruti Vihar Sarbojonin Durgotsav, in Sector 28. Here, rituals will be performed on all days, sticking to the spirit of Durga Puja while heeding contactless protocols. “To make sure that every member gets to pray, we will allot time slots over the five days so that they can visit the community centre. But we are advising them not to linger too long, so that others get the chance,” he adds.
On Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, Jugantor Valley View Puja Samity will be live-streaming the ceremonies on each of Panchami, Shashti, Saptami, Ashtami and Navami. The cultural programs, coordinated and rehearsed in-house, have also transitioned online. “It is a digital Pujo in compliance with social distancing, but it will still be according to the almanac, right from Pushpanjali, etc.,” informs member Debashish Das.
Out in South City 2, Pujo is going to be a one-day affair. The Pratima will be brought on the evening of Ashtami and set up the next morning. “We will have a Ghot puja on Navami but with a small idol, of around 3ft-4ft, for the sake of sentiment, and so that there is continuity in the rituals,” told Sudip Mondal, executive committee member and treasurer, Dakshin Gurgaon Puja Committee.
“Because, a painting or a photograph of Maa Durga can’t convey the same feeling,” he adds. With its sprawling outdoors location, this Pujo always wins marks for atmosphere; this time, the snug confines of the Nirvana Club will play host.
The folks in Sector 10 are hoping to pay obeisance to the goddess on the most auspicious of days, Ashtami. “We would like to continue our traditions but with respect to the rules and norms,” insists Tanmay Guha, a founder member of Sharadiya Durgotsav Samiti. “Hopefully, Maa Durga allows us to pray for a day at least.” Guha’s son is a year younger than the Sharadiya Durgotsav Samiti, so the Pujo is close to his heart. Like most Probashi Bengalis, he is eager to embrace as much of the emotion of the season as is possible in these trying times.
Keeping the faith
On Sohna Road, Vatika City Durga Pujo is making up for the absence of food stalls –a redolent part of the autumnal festival – by organising Anondomela, in which home chefs will be preparing authentic Bangla dishes to share with fellow Vatika residents. Meanwhile, the young and the old are reciting, through video, the greats of Bengali poetry, bringing the bards’ words (and worlds) alive, and providing a literary flourish to proceedings.
The biggest of the three Sector-56 Pujas, and arguably the most popular in the Millennium City, is heading indoors, to the HUDA community centre. “While it will be a small affair, all rituals will be followed, and Anjali will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube,” mentions Partha Dey, general secretary of Bangiya Parishad Gurgaon (BPG).
Dey adds, “To visit the mandap and offer prayers, people will have to pre-book a slot through the BPG app.” Bhog will be for members only, the organisers ensuring it is packed and delivered to their homes. And there will be exclusive member access to cultural events, beamed live from studios in Kolkata (featuring, among others, Durnibar, the Nandy sisters, and Jagannath Basu).
The new sectors too are keeping things cosy and low-key. The Pujo on the amphitheatre lawns of Tulip Violet, which attracts residents from the dozen or so societies in and around sectors 69 and 70, is scheduled for Navami, with a small-scale and idol-less pandal. “Obviously, this time around, we can’t have a grand celebration; puja will be restricted only to members, and no visitors will be allowed,” shares Tuhin Bhowmik, a member of the core committee, Tulip Bangiya Parishad, adding, “Pandals will be open and social-distancing rules will be in place for those who wish to offer in person.”
It’s no different in Garden City in Sector 90 – minus the Pratima but inclusive of all observances. “Members will obviously get preference but we can’t stop devotees from taking part. So, we will ensure that only a few people can offer prayers at one time,” says Sraboni Chakrabarty of the Garden City Bengali Cultural Association.
On the other side of the highway, in Sector 9 in the Old City, is a Pujo that has remained loyal to tradition. And despite concerns over public health, members here were loath to break with custom. So, the Gurgaon Durga Puja Committee, under the aegis of the Gurgaon Bengalee Association, has chosen Ashtami and Navami as the days to be given over to rituals. The ceremonies are moving from the community centre to Gauri Shankar Mandir in Sector 9A, just a stone throw’s away. A roster will allow long-time participants to offer prayers, and Pushpanjali will be shown live, so that everyone else can join in.
This is, incidentally, the oldest continuous Puja in Gurgaon, having been held since 1982. That it returns in this year, of all years, is of great comfort, like a familiar face from better days come to assure us.
Because, Durga Puja is about renewal. And in Sector 56, it will be about remembering Sanjay Banerjee, the life force and guiding light of Bangiya Parishad Gurgaon who passed away in September. His colleagues will endeavour to honour him as best, and as fondly, as they can.