Festival season in India begins on a grand scale sometime in October and continues right up to March of the following year- with a (generous) sprinkling of other big and small regional events in the remaining months of the year. It is therefore always a pleasant surprise when I find myself in one of these on my visits to my hometown Kolkata, though the attendant nuisance of public revelry and closure of shopping districts does play spoilsport. These cultural extravaganzas generally follow the months and dates of the Hindu calendar.
Saraswati Puja this time around, falling as it did on February 14 or Valentine’s Day, added an extra layer of ebullience to the otherwise tranquil aura invoked by the goddess of wisdom- Saraswati. Perhaps in other countries too in the neighborhood this season has some significance for the student population, because on my short vacay in Krabi, Thailand before proceeding to India, I did witness several young acolytes paying their respects at temples and monasteries.
Back home, I saw the goddess come alive in practically every nook and cranny- from the exquisitely crafted cardboard dais in a narrow gully near my house, to the elaborate rituals at the Ramakrishna Mission presided over by ascetics- and I piously bowed my head everywhere hoping to be bestowed with all the equilibrium that I can get out of our chaotic times. The weather being still nippy before the last chill of winter faded away (and thanks to the added excitement over the importance of Valentine’s Day for young lovers),
I was also witness to a colorful parade of sartorial elegance and excellence as men and women came out in their best attire to meet and greet each other, if not the goddess! Yes, it is true that as the march of modern technology takes over traditional societies, gods and goddesses might soon be forgotten. But it might also just be true that they would simply flow from one consciousness to another, continuing to infuse our lives with joy, peace and wisdom.
