A different Maha Ashtami

During Durga Puja, each day is celebrated with a specific concept and form of the goddess. Today is Maha Ashtami, the day when Maa Durga is worshipped with grandeur as the Mahishasur-mardini or the slayer of demon Mahishasur, but this year, we are homebound. My celebration is confined to good food and a quick visit to Dhakeshwari temple with my family for the basic rituals. Usually during Puja, we visit my grandmother in my hometown, Rajshahi. It is also a time for an extended family gathering. However, this year, we are staying in Dhaka.

Khichuri and the evening aarti are some of the most memorable aspects of these festivities. One of the main events of Maha Ashtami is Sandhi Puja, which is held at the juncture, when Ashtami Tithi ends and Navami Tithi begins with a customary lighting of 108 earthen lamps and offering of 108 lotus flowers. Unfortunately, I have had to let go of being a part of Sandhi Puja this year.

Nonetheless, we did get some new sharees. I knew pandal hopping would be something I would voluntarily avoid so I took a different route. Wearing my puja sharee, I went to Shakhari Bazaar, the hub of idol makers, a week before Puja began. A visit to artist Haripada Pal's studio is a prerequisite of my celebration. This year was no different. I usually bother him with lots of questions, and he answers them as generously as he can. We may agree to disagree at times,  but he surely makes me think of possibilities and provides me with different perspectives.

This time, I asked him how he feels when the idols he makes with so much love and passion are eventually let go in the water. His answer was simple yet mind boggling. "The material with which these idols are made are things found in nature - the hay, the clay, the water. All I do is collect them and use it to give a shape  to my beliefs," he said. "The purpose of doing so is to have a conversation - a familiar face is always easy to talk to. But when it is time for Maa Durga to return, we must give back the materials to nature- while our faith remains intact in our hearts." His answer made me think of rituals and festivities in a different way - they are really more about philosophy, and a process of self-reflection and understanding.