Magical Mahalaya

'Wake up'', it's Mahalaya. 

Dad and Mom's unfailing call,

The sudden nip in the air,

The shiver of excitement

Running down my spine.

'Jago, Jago Durga' rents the air ...

One of life's most impactful moments for me.

For an entire year,

Since immersion,

Bengal awaits the mega festival,

Durga Puja. 

And its essence, its arrival, 

Heralded by the immortal baritone of Birendra Krishna Bhadra...

Nothing spells Durga Puja as much as Mahalaya. 

The breathless Chandipath,

The saga of the heavenly

War with the demons,

Brahma's heartfelt appeal to Vishnu...

Mahishasura Mardini, 

The powerful recitation,

Scriptural verses of Chandi

Kavya resounding through every Bengali home and mike that holy morn,

The surreal montage of songs, music, verses,

Acoustics flowing at pre-dawn,

The reaffirmation of that eternal story of the restoration of Dharma,

The morals of triumph

Of goodness, 

Inevitably. 

Goddess Chandika, the eternal power,

Manifestation of energy

Of all Gods together...

Celestial phenomenon of the creation of the 10-armed Goddess

From the combined power of the Gods...

The beginning of Devi Paksha.

An audio celebration dating 1931,

Live broadcast by All India Radio

For over 3 decades. 

Far from Kolkata, 

Us waking to the stentorian voice,

Now recordings, 

Shattering the darkness 

Of the night and souls.

Nothing has ever been the same again

Since Birendra Krishna Bhadra's devotion

Resonated through the festive month.

Years later, I made the trip to his home

In the narrow, dark bylanes of North Calcutta. 

The most famous Bengali baritone, 

Then stilled, lying in a coma.

My silent homage to his holy soul. 

Many more years,

Without Dad's voice calling me awake,

Still I listen, Mahishasura Mardini continues,

On radio,

On youtube ...

Passing on the passion 

To my son.

Legacies of life

To uplift, uphold, 

Memories to cherish, 

Shared joy,

Musical storytelling

Of divine conquests. 

Goddess Durga's descent on earth, 

On a Lion as a mount from the Himalayas, 

Chakra from Vishnu, 

Trident from Mahadev,

Kaal Danda from Yama,

Khadga given by Kalbhairav,

Ashtrachandra Shield of Chandra,

Bows and Arrows of Surya,

Kawach, a protective armour from Vishwakarma,

Rosary and Kamandalu, the sacred pot of water, from Brahma himself,

Adornments fit for a deity from Kuber.

Fitted out in divine glory

Durga's slaying of the demon Mahishasura,

A saga part of scriptural devotion,

Common lore,

A soulful rendering evoking the Goddess 

On the onset of the festival...

Original script by Bani Kumar 

And music by Pankaj Mullick,

Now re-recorded by various artists

And filmed profusely,

Dance dramas enacted on stages and screens...

The mythological story

continues majestically.

The beacon of hope alights every year,

And across the globe 

Devout Bengalis tune in

To the divine tale

And the immortal songs

Render the autumnal air holy.

'Dhakis' begin the beat,

The city lights up in myriad colours

And designs,

Frantic shopping and gifting ensues,

'Pandals' glitter on roads.

The journey from Kumartuli begins.

Goddess Durga arrives in truckloads 

In an array of aesthetic designs, 

In clay, silver, gold

To conchshells blown 

And people line up on every road.

It's Mahalaya, 

And it heralds a celebration

Of divine proportions.