Citadel of East and Pujo

Citadel of East and Pujo

Citadel of East has a lot going in its favour and the flavour of Pujo embraces those who are its adherents and even those showing a faint inclination to fall in line howsoever long it may take. The stay in the Citadel of East may have mirrored the limited aspirations of city folks but it equally mirrored the aspirational quotient of those who get lost in the haze of the city round the year and get an equal chance to join the bandwagon at this point of time. The turnout in College Square and M.Ali Park and the structured movement of the swelling crowd illustrated the strong undercurrents of adaptability. Visits on more than one occasion to these centres showed the rich fabric the city is endowed with and the rich heritage it basks under.

Recalling the immersion procession and the chants it reverberates with, there is a strong longing to have this association year after year.

The long nights spent in the middle of the city amidst chants of Goddess followed with immersion of the idol was a truly moving experience in the Citadel of East. Had been waiting for loading of the idol in the vehicle that was supposed to depart at 5 in the evening from Ram Krishna Raj Krishna Kali Temple in Central. Since ten past four in the afternoon the wait started and when the idol procession finally hit the city roads it was well past seven and it took a little over three hours to reach the Prasanna Kumar Ghat. It was 11.30 and the search was for a public transport that could take me back to Central.

With no meals outlet open, the walk from Metro Station in Esplanade to Central was taxing and the number of hours walked on Thursday (Dussehra) could be a record one. From where i got the thrust to engage in activities round the day could be traced to the positioning next to the lorry carrying idol since half past 7. Thoughts did cross my mind at Burra Bazar that i should call it quits but something kept me glued to the last step. And by grace of the Goddess i was there till the last moment. What a day it was and how beautifully it wrapped up with thoughts on similar festivity slated for next year.

Again thoughts on those whom i came across and intend to come in the coming period.
Best wishes to Shree Krishna Mistaan Bhandar for the kachori and tea served; best wishes to Lakhanlal (on occasions the meal may have led to a minor upset); best wishes to all those tea vendors for serving the tea i desired; best wishes to all residents of the city for the sweat they undergo given the river that flows.

It is a city that flaunts its happiness index by sweating by a proportion that has few parallels in the country; and it is a city that has record footfalls in the face of adversities.