Pooja

Durga puja season has always been the festive season of the year, Durga Puja along with Kumara Poornima and then Diwali. At my maternal side, everyone used to make it a point to be at home during puja atleast. There would be no studies, I wouldnt be carrying any books when I visit my grandparents, so no studies for about 15 days, same for all my cousins too.

There would be good food, new clothes, and fairs and then the grand finale on Dussehera. Then after some days comes the Kumara Poornima, its mainly a girls festival, for they only get to wear new clothes, for us it would just be the food, there used to be this "poda pitha" which grandma used to prepare, The ingredients would be wrapped up in banana leaves and cooked slowly over wood fire in an old style "chula". it just doesnt have the same flavour when you burn it over a gas stove,. Its been a long time since I had that.

Then, in the evening all the girls would get together and sing songs to the full moon. Our agenda is to disturb them, we would really not be impressed with their singing and considered this singing activity to be unnecessary. My aunts used to do that and we kids would make all sorts of noise, howl around them. Even if we would be chased out, but would still return, it was such fun. They would be irritated to the extremes. I can organise these things quite well, was a natural leader among my cousins, had aa natural knack for all these ideas. The last time all these happened was before high school, after that it became difficult for us to go to village for Puja vacations, and in cities these things arent just possible.

After Kumara Poornima, its Diwali, this always remained the high point, its one festival which doesnt get diluted in in cities. Till now I havent missed a single Diwali away from home. New clothes again, this would have been my third pair after birthday and Dussehera.

The real deal are the fireworks, I always liked the ones that make the most sound, the maximum bang.

Lot of planning goes into it, My dad will not let me have the big crackers , so almost a month before Diwali, the planing would start, to accumulate money, grandpa and mom used to give something on top of my allowance. And then my sister is not much of fireworks types, she would be happy with her sparklers and some other stuff. so a part of her allowance also contributes to my bomb budget. The bombs would be bought and stored somewhere without my parents knowledge. Only my sister used to know, she somehow always finds out. The official story with my parents would be that all the money was spent in those sparkler type fireworks.

After teh evening puja , we would size up the neighbourhood, we would start our display somewhere around 8Pm, when all others are begining to finish their supplies. That way people take notice , If we start early than you are one in the crowd, but late evening, our display stands out, there would be less competition to our show.

We would not just light up the bombs, we would put some papers or light up a fire over it, or put some stuff over it so that it feels like an explosion :). Apart from the sound something also has to go up in the air and create a scene and be seen. This improvising is the excitement.After all the bombs are gone, scout for some unexploded bombs, collect the powder and prepare the last one, the idea would be to pack all the explosive powder int some container , usually an amurtanjan bottle, or some strong container, seal it and light it up , for one final bang.

After all that is done , return home, with ears ringing, fingers a bit burnt, a little sad that its over.

Diwali is still like that for me, though some of my old gang have 'grown up'. But we still come back to Bhubaneswar and I am still looking forward to it this time around, to celebrate it the way I have always.