Uma Purkayastha
In the present times, Durga Puja is associated with extravagance and a show of luxury driven towards one’s merriment almost like a ride on a carousel. At the first glance, it may seem so, but the actual significance of the Durga Puja is far more than that. Durga Puja aims at the precedence of truth over untruth, good over evil, light over darkness and the triumph of knowledge over ignorance.
This Autumnal Durga Puja was first performed in Bengal in 1757, after the defeat of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah, in the Battle of Plassey. Gradually, Puja gained popularity; but being a time intensive and expensive festival, Puja was limited to a few rich families, and beyond the reach of common people. Naturally, then, the common people also felt the urge of celebrating puja and in course of time there began ‘Public Puja’ (Sarbojonin Puja) with subscriptions and donations from the public. Nowadays, it has been a popular practice in all parts of India, and in many of the countries of the world, Durga Puja is celebrated with full piety and gaiety.
The idols displayed during puja consist of goddess Durga (mother) accompanied by her children as, ‘Lakshmi’, the goddess of wealth; ‘Saraswati’, the goddess of knowledge, ‘Kartika’, the god of valour and youth, and ‘Ganesha’, the god of success and democracy.
In Shillong, the Public Durga Puja with idols was first started in 1896, in the Harisabha area of Laban, when Shillong was a new and under-developed town. During that period of lack of transport services owing to the absence of motorable roads between Shillong–Gauhati (now Guwahati), the worshippers brought the idols from Krishnanagar, West Bengal, half way by train, then by steamer, the rest by motor car until Gauhati. From Gauhati to Shillong the idols were brought by bullock cart which took three days to reach. The youths of Laban helped carry the idols by pulling the carts by themselves. Among other arrangements, the priest for the puja was sourced from Sylhet (erstwhile district in undivided Assam, now in Bangladesh) crossing the hills on foot with all puja materials and prerequisites which were not available in then Shillong. That Puja is considered an historical event of Shillong.
An interesting piece of discovery from the pioneer puja was that the total expenditure incurred was Rs.75 and 8 annasonly! The highest rate of subscription was Rs. 2/- and lowest was 2 annas only. [Ref:- Collected from (L) Manoranjan Choudhury of Harisabha Laban, in 1992].
Prior to that puja, it was the Gorkha Regiment of Shillong who initiated the tradition of worshipping goddess Durga in the ground behind Iewduh (Bara Bazar), which is the present site of ‘Nepali Durga Mandir’; but initially, the puja was carried out without an idol.
However, one year later, 1897 turned out to be the most unfortunate year for the people of Shillong. The disastrous earthquake of June 12, 1897, swept away many valuable lives and property in Shillong. The people were so panic stricken that they were praying to the goddess Durga as their saviour. That year Durga Puja was celebrated very piously in Shillong, and its people, irrespective of religion, caste or tribe participated in large numbers.
The indigenous people of the K&J Hills prayed to goddess Durga as, ‘Ka Blei Durka’. (Ref:- ‘Ancient Shillong’ by Prof. B. Datta Roy)
Today, things are different. It is the age of the internet, where people hanker after the luxurious. There is competition in every affair, right from pandal decoration to idol sculpturing. The old style of puja is almost invalid now. Each and every Public Puja is spending an average 7 to 10 lakhs, mainly in decoration and illumination! Yes, without expenditure on gorgeous illumination, pandal decoration or orchestra amusements are now the order of the day. It is also true that without these elements and mirth, such festivals become dull and colourless. Innocent joy or enjoyment is also a part of healthy life and religion. There are also multiple avenues for children and people of other age groups to make merry and the puja organisers also swear by this.
Durga Puja is not only a religious ritual but through this festival, our arts, crafts, culture, our traditional heritage, our social values and custom, and our hospitality are expressed in different spheres of life and living. It is a symbolic expression of the socio religious life of ancient India, which aims at universal fraternity.
Shillong is a multilingual and multi-religious city; but at the same time it is a city of coexistence and communal harmony. This is evident from the cultural functions during Puja which are crowded by people from heterogeneous backgrounds, proving that innocent joy knows no rules or bounds!
So, the impact of Durga Puja on the people in general is to rejuvenate the ties of concord and harmony which aims at oneness of God and oneness of man. The Puja mantras vibrates in the same tune:-
‘Devi Proseedo!
Proseedo Mato Jogotokhilasya
Proseedo Visweswari Pahi Viswam
Tam Ishawari Devi Chara Charasya’
The meaning of the verse is, ‘ O goddess! The Protector of the universe! Be pleased to us, protect your people, protect the whole universe from all evils’.
Thus, the Puja Pandals become a great union of love and fraternity!