Culture story- Saigon Durga Pujo 2017

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Travel early and travel often; Is my motto, which helps explore, discover many stories sometimes funny, engaging and most times moving. 

 Being a bong (Bengali) its obvious that one cannot stay away from ones own likings of culture and celebrating the spirit. For an NRI, particularly living in South east Asia, finding an Indian festival gives a sense of Déjà vu . Living in Saigon for sometime and exploring the Vietnamese spirit, had the occasion of visiting Durga-Utsav celebrated with full vigor and custom at Thendayuthapani Temple, 66 Tôn Thất Thiệp, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam.

 Insights:
Lunar Calendar is followed for Durga Pujo, it has a special place among the Vietnamese as well. After all Moon with its glint and darkness effects all!
In a month there are two phases of the moon. Shukla Paksha, when the moon gradually emerges from darkness to a full bloom called Purnima. 
Krishna Paksha is when the moon starts waning, after a fortnight it disappears for a pitch dark night, called Amavasya.


Mahalaya sets in from Amavasya, which marks the preparation of Durga Pujo. Pujo to a Bengali means a gathering of a community, a cultural celebration of a Goddess with ten hands, who destroyed an evil demon before he wreaked havoc across the heavens. 

 The symbol of Goddess mounted on a furious lion attacking the savagely fierce man-asura, signifies that even women had to exercise their authority over beastly men in heaven. And like all victors are given a proud homecoming, Maa Durga's win is celebrated along with her team members, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik & Ganesha on earth with grandeur over five days.


Pujo includes the interaction and association of man-god. To awaken the hibernating spirit of goodness in humans from its deep slumber, it requires sounds like membrano-phones (Dhaak), bells (kasor-ghanta), shakhya (Conch-shell) played in rhythm, lights (aarti), camphor (dhunuchi), and practicing rituals upholding traditions (offerings of Lotus flowers, which signifies uprightenouess as it grows out of shallow water), women putting vermillion on each-other addresses a gesture of well being and prosperity in the community.

Timeline of festive activities spread over five days of Bengali Durga Pujo celebration: 



Each of us have our own Pujo memories. As the preparations of Pujo begins with a shopping spree of new trends and designs of Saree, jewelry, accessories etc. Rehearsing dances for a show to be staged on one of the evenings, the multifaceted preps & last minute additions. Out of these moments you steal an eye-shut, folded hands and whisper a well being prayer to the Goddess till next year.

As all good things come to an end the festival ends on a note of happiness, prosperity, celebrated over a grand dinner of Bengali sweets & food, golpo-adda( a slang for small talk, gossip). The five days of Durga Pujo to every Bengali holds a special place, where the world outside the pandal/temple comes to a standstill and life inside sways & moves on to the beat of dhaak.








Comments

  1. NeeTo De'October 2, 2017 at 1:46 AM

    reminded me of my early days of durga puja. well written

    ReplyDelete

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