Mahishasura Mardini - 2011 - Pujo Eshe Gelo

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Matri Rupena Sansthita
Namastasyai, Namastasyai, Namastasyai, Namo Namah
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Buddhi Rupena Sansthita
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Shakti Rupena Sansthita
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Nidra Rupena Sansthita
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Chaiya Rupena Sansthita
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Daya Rupena Sansthita
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Kanti Rupena Sansthita
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Bhranti Rupena Sansthita
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Shantih Rupena Sansthita
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Tushti Rupena Sansthita
Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Lakshmi Rupena Sansthita

These are the lines from the epic recitation of Mahishashur Mardini.

I can remember the time when I was little, during the time of Mahalaya, my father used to wake me up very early morning. 4 Am I guessing. It used to be really dark in the morning and chilly as well, since Calcutta enjoyed a really lovely climate during the pujas .

Every year we would get up early- me and my dad - to listen to “Mahishasura Mardini ” and "Chandipath" by Birendra Kishore Bhadra .It used to broadcast on All India Radio, and I still remember how my dad would weave a magical atmosphere by telling me what the recitation was all about. The ceof Good over Evil . How evil demon king Mahishasura was blessed to never die in the hands of a man and how the gods created Goddess Durga and endowed her with ten hands and ten Bhahmastras to vanquish the evil as a loophole of that endowment to Mahishasura.

Maa Durga as we used to fondly call the goddess as, was also our first lesson in respecting the strength of a woman .As we awaited the radio transmission to come on- witnessing the birds fly out of their nocturnal slumber to witness and welcome the dawn which signified the first day of the Pujas – the day Mahishasura was vanquished – Mahalaya – the magical 10 days of fun and devotion, of culture and learning, of happiness and love, of family and friendship was here.

I still recall vividly how my dad would go to increase the volume on his Philips amplifier as Biderendra Krishna Bhandras immortal voice would start reciting which I believe was also called the CHANDIPATH…and we would welcome the goddess to her earthly abode and the inauguration of DURGA PUJO with Mahalaya.

As Mr.Bhadra's voice modulated slowly to a crescendo before tipping down again while he narrated how the divine goddess fought the evil demon king and killed him when he hid as a buffalo, I would visualize the epic battle in my mind as my dad translated the portions I couldn’t understand. The classic tale of good over evil was an overpowering one as well as the respect and faith in the idea of God which we all would have questioned several times as we grew up.

We never missed this special broadcasting ever as far as I can remember. Now many of us who are not living in Calcutta for various ,unite in the festivities with this recitation on Mahalaya. The hair still stands on the nape of my neck as I hear the rendition and it’s a part of my life which is synonymous with the idea of being a Bengali.

The pujas were magical as we not only got to wear new clothes , eat amazing food which is the pride of the Bengali Culture , it was also time of great stories of folklores being told to youngsters by the older generation reaffirming the passage of culture from one generation to the other , as well as arranging marriages and engagements.

My dad was a great story teller and he would tell me about how this Puja at this time of the year is called the OKAAL BODHON or the untimely invoking of Goddess Durga by lord Rama during the epic battle between him and Asura King Raavan and how the lessons of Professionalism could be imbibed from this one story of Ram invoking Debi Durga. The folklore goes that Rama being a Kshatriya (warrior) was not caste wise allowed to perform the pujas and he requires a Brahmin to do so .As to my amazement, he narrated how Ram sought the services of Raavan who was a supreme Brahmin himself to conduct the pooja .It was on Raavan's conducting of the Puja did Goddess Durga get invoked and she granted Ram the blessing and weapon to kill Raavan.

How Raavan stayed true to his professional duties changed my mindset and treatment towards Raavan forever. This story of professionalism is what I still repeat in my corporate Trainings and Management Classes to state that no person is entirely good or bad. Its circumstances and choices that make him /her appear to look good or bad in that matter.

Staying away from Calcutta and in a place where I find struggling to remain a Bengali everyday and stay true to my culture in my own small world, I look forward to Mahalaya Torpon on 27th September 2011. I look forward to hearing on my music system, recreating the Calcutta in my mind as I hear Mr.Birendra Kishore Bhadra recite

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Shakti Rupena Sansthita
Namastasyai, Namastasyai, Namastasyai, Namo Namah

I will look out of the window and welcome a new dawn .This year as again the pujas would be different. My wife is not a Bengali and as I welcome the pujas, I would don the role of my father and tell her the story of how Gods created Debi Durga to vanquish evil and wish that I would be able to pass on this lovely cultural gem to my children, who would someday do the same.

As I pray for strength not to break down emotionally to Maa Durga, I ask her to give me the strength to fight the demons within and bless my family with love and happiness that we may be blessed to live another day, to hear yet another year as we invoke the Goddess in the voice of Birendra Kishore Bhadra reciting

Ya Devi Sarva Bhutesu, Daya Rupena Sansthita
Namastasyai, Namastasyai, Namastasyai, Namo Namah

The Corner STone called Life

wants to run away from the world
away to a corner
where no one asks your name ,
and yet every one smiles but not that of a stranger ,
where warm food and a warm heart warms up not only your life ,
lights up not only the eyes but your soul as well ...


can anyone give me the way to this utopia
Where happiness rings in the air
Where Love is the code of honour
And Smiling is in your best behavior
Where tears are treasured
And crying is not a sign of weak
Where the greatest sin is not to let love speak

Can any one give me the way to this utopia
Where a shoulder is lend to every crying heart
And where aprreciating others is not considered a lost art
Where your tears are wiped , by a soft hand
Which caresses your face and holds your hand

Where is my corner , where is that land?
Where theres happiness and love that’s knows no bound
Where is my life taking me away
To a bleak existance called life

I want to break free , I want to run ..
away from the world
away to a corner
where no one asks your name ,
and yet every one smiles but not that of a stranger ,
where warm food and a warm heart warms up not only your life ,
lights up not only the eyes but your soul as well ...

Oh ! Calcutta !

(picture courtesy : http://z.about.com/d/goindia/1/0/6/6/-/-/TheEsplanade.JPG)

The smell of Kachoris in the morning sun

The swinging on the footboard of 30 A used to be so much fun

The smell of mustard and five spices galore

Of grand mom’s cooking which I miss in Bangalore

The fish, the curry, the Kheer and spice

I miss my life and when everything was nice

The radio that sang of songs of heart
Of Jimmy Tangrey, of Love is on the air, of feelings unspoken which used to hurt

The sound of Dhaak, the sound of love ...

The durgapujor parar utsav

The harmless flirting everyyear with the pretty girls

and then seing them get married off and the end of a cute love story ..and still the joys knew no bound

Friends who were soul mates and friends who were family

School that taught us of heritage and responsibility

Families that never competed with each other

But taught the essence of being joyous in happiness and success for each other

Calcutta I miss you, I miss you very much

I miss the fragrance of “bhapa ilish” and “bhaaja maach”

I miss my aunt singing rabindra sangeet

I miss my uncle dancing to "singing in the rain" without skipping a single beat

I miss Anjan Datta, Nachiketa, Euphoria and Mohiner Ghora guli

I miss running and paying tribute to the Maa Ganga aboard the old bridge of Hooghly

Calcutta, My mother, Calcutta my home

Calcutta my existence I owe to you, my soul you own

Dhano dhanye pushpe bhora

Amader ei boshundhora

Tahaar Maajhe Aache je ek Shokol Desher Shera

O she shopno diye toiri se desh Smriti diye ghera

Emon Deshti Kothao Khuje Paabe naako tumi

O she shokol desher raani seje aamar janmobhumi

She je aamar janmobhumi...

Thank you

I guess at this point of my life, amazed at the people I have met, and their contribution to my life, often by mere presence has been astounding and ecstatic. And as my Dad used to say, never let any deed go by unheeded and un-thanked, cos everything that happens in your life, teaches you a lesson that’s called Experience.

And when I look behind, and I Realize the wonderful repository of knowledge that was endowed upon me by these people who had shaped the way I think and behave and do …and brushing aside the compliments which mean almost nothing when you have faced the storm, I hereby would like to give out certain gratitude points to certain people, who made me what I am today, Happen –
SO here it goes – my small thanksgiving speech

“Thank you,

To those of you who laughed at me, Thank You
Without you, I wouldn’t have cried!! You burnt me with the flame of your indifference and created a hardened shell which protects the softness inside and of people around him, just like a burnt clay shields a flame in a “diya”

To those of you who just couldn’t love me, thank you
For without you I wouldn’t have known real love, how to recognize it and how to share it with the world around me.

To those of you who have hurt my feelings, Thank you
For without you I wouldn’t have felt them and learnt how to not hurt somebody else and how to stand up with Dignity

To those of you who have left me lonely, Thank you
Without you I wouldn’t have discovered myself and denied the world of a great entertainer who gives excellent company to those who seek respite from the despair called Loneliness

But, it is to those of you who Thought I couldn’t do it; thank you the MOST
For it is YOU I would like to Thank the most …for without you I wouldn’t have tried...amd I would have never been able to realize the fighter in me , who awoke every time the fate challenge and you commented , like a Phoenix from the ashes…Thank you for making me the FIGHTER ..Who has yet to learn n so much more, but most importantly, is YET TO LEARN WHAT IS DEFEAT!!!!

I thank you!!!

Oye Teri …Call MK for Mr.Karthikeya...

Have you ever come across an unusual person who looks usually unusual with an unusually long chin whom you see every nook and corner till he becomes a figurative conversation starter, ender and conversation piece as usual. Unusual isn’t it? You feel this feeling egg in you to call out his name, quite unsure if this person is that person you usually think he is...well figuratively speaking …….confused? well don’t be , cos I was .For 2 days hours at end I spoke and heard about this guy who isn’t who he is supposed to be.

Karthikeye...as seductive and figurative this guy can be, sometimes on a park bench with a femme fatale (read fatal for all females), sometimes with an overtly endowed female (read F-A-T “Sis”) and sometimes with man’s best friend (read DOG and not Playboy), Mr.Karthikeye a.k.a MK, still managed to get sighted quite a number of times under this pretty things balcony, and I would urge her to call out his name KARTIKEYE..in 3 voice modes – shout it all aloud ( Instead I was shouting his name on her behalf through hr call phone's "booming” speaker phone , some 800 kms away , waking up my neighbors instead of attracting MK’s attention, second one would be a seductive “karrtikeyeaaa” like the evergreen Rekha , and lastly HI!! R u kart? Oh you are not...anyways I’m Shultz the Mehfuz.

Still MK remained out of earshot, and I guess he is as excited to know this pretty lass as we are exited in calling out his name in different tone of voices – howling and barking included. Lemme tell u how MK is supposed to look like...Long irritable chin (trademarked MK, a dead giveaway even in the dead of the night), long hair which is not expected to trim and cut (on recent updates he has cut his hair-and by the way some one was breathing quite hard when describing MK, and on her own confession – she was sleeping also at the same time, on one side , and so I guess she was awake on the other side when her this side was dreaming about MK! Huh? Confused again!!!)

The promise is that the lass is going to shout his name aloud , when she has the inclination to , depending on the “next time” he crosses her balcony at night , quite like Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet, but only this time there is no ladder and Juliet is going to shout "oye tu MK hai kya ? nehi? oye teri …tere maa ki @#$#@#$*&^% ".

Guess that’s the new age romance...straight to “aati kya khandala..?” ..It’s the time to disco …lekin if pappu can’t dance saala...then...oye Teri maa ki aankh!!! Khisak le patli gali se …guess ludhiyana meets lokhandwala ….a Classic jab we met!!!

And the search for that elusive moment of shouting his name, we still await!!! For Thou shall not take thy MK’s name in vain!!!

The Mask

(Image Courtesy : http://www.mirroria.eu/images/g_people/)

The mask I wear
The face you see
The illusion I portray
The person you know as me

A smile etched across its animated face
A brave pursuit not to lose the rat race
The mask I wear
The face you see
It’s not the person you think I am me...

The tears that well deep within the eyes
Swallowed in silence
The frown that hides behind the smile
How can that be a source of sustenance?

The mask I wear
The person...ME
The aura of Happiness
That seems to surround me

The absolution that I search for
The retribution I seek
The Peace of Mind...so alluring
The happiness and Love...the urge never ending

The search for Love
The Search for peace
The search for that state of Mind
Will you...can you ever give?

Could you love that face behind the MASK
And caress those cheeks streaked with tears
Could you uphold that child in the man?
Stunned to silence by his own fears...

The mask I wear
The face you see
An Illusion I portray
Can you ever forgive me?

Lessons of Life juxtaposed in time

I’m an eternal romantic who’s lost his romance to the times
Staring into nothingness searching for my vice,
And For that exclusive note of the tinkle in the wind chime
Looking for that elusive emotion of love, Searching the genuine-ness behind each smile

Scores of faceless people,
With what not on their mind
Falling prey to their own judgment Juxtaposed in the image of sorrow
in the fervent rush against time

Some rise to meet the occasion
While most others fall
The mad race to nowhere,
“Where are you going?”- No one is able to recall

Running all your life, in pursuit of a elusive tomorrow
Death is at your door step, and time you still want to borrow
One hour and I make so much,
Value of money becomes the value of life ,Today’s story and tomorrow as such

Living life as of today
as if you merely exist
Dreaming of a tomorrow and yet
living the today you so fiercely resist

What good comes of wealth and Fame?
When all you can do is just breathe and nothing else
You see your life ebb away, lying in a heap of worthless value
See your loved ones far away, searching for their own tomorrow

Oblivious to your emotions as you were to theirs
They trudge on their life’s oath, with grudge and hatred to bear
A viscous vice of life and death,
and a period of suffering of what is the rest

Is this Life?
What happens to the daring conquests?
When you forgot love and relations for money
when you forgot to tuck in your child and say “Good Night Honey!”

What happened to the conquest when you lay in Death bed?
A broken sick man, unable to move
When Fate deals its cruel blow, squandering your wealth called Life
When people dash to own your money, even push comes to a Shove

Is this what you were fighting for?
A lesson of a Lifetime.
Was the victory worth losing loved ones and to die for?
Is this what you dreamt of what would be the end of the line?...

I’m an eternal romantic who’s lost his romance to the times
Staring into nothingness searching for my vice,
For that tinkle in the girl's eyes
Looking for that elusive emotion of love, Searching the genuine-ness behind each smile