The most famous festival of Bengalis Durga Puja is here. The smell of Shiuli flowers is wafting through air. Markets are abuzz with last minute shoppers.Every para is giving finishing touches to the pandals.Everybody is planning their puja itinerary. Those who have moved out of Kolkata due to job, education purpose have arrived to be a part of this grand carnival. Children are keeping count of their dresses to ensure that they have not been out done by their cousins or friends.
Amidst all this humdrum, have we ever heed to them, who have to leave behind their family to make this puja so successful.People from all across the globe come to Kolkata to get drenched in this festive fervor.All the intricate works on the pandal that leave everyone spellbound have been crafted by these people.Months after months they toil hard to make their assigned pandals the most beautiful one in the city.While pandal hopping, we treat our eyes on these beautiful works of art and utter the words "ki shundor" (how beautiful) but the thought of these people hardly cross our mind.We like to dance to the beats of dhaakis but hardly pay attention to these dhaakis who keep beating their dhaaks from morning till everyone gets tired of dancing.
Their children might wait for them like every year I wait with bated breath for my father to return home, so that we can have gala time.I don't know if it is due to sense of maturity or what. This year they have caught my attention. While we try to appease Maa Durga by offering her sweets and worshiping her throughout five days, these people put their nose to grindstone to appease our aesthetic sense. In their own way, they try to win over Maa Durga. It is said " work is worship" . They worship through their work. They offer their labour, sweat. They endure everything to give their best. We may say that they are being paid fr their work, so whats a big deal. To this, I have an irrefragable answer which sound cliche "money can't buy you everything" and of course not the hard work which goes into making this festival a grand success.
Next comes our police department. We often hold them responsible whenever anything illegal happens. To monitor the situation during Durga Puja and ensure that this carnival go off smoothly, they keep round the clock check on every puja pandal. Their family also want to apend time with them, but they are sacrificing their celebration so that we can celebrate without a hitch.
They are all the unsung heroes of Durga Puja, who derive pleasure by seeing smiling faces and joy of pandal hoppers. Our praise is the biggest award for them. I conclude with the hope that this year when you go to admire any pandal you'll spare some thoughts on these unsung heroes.When dhakki arrives at your door step before leaving for his home, you'll be generous in giving him gifts.
Happy Durga Puja :)
