Pixelated Memories: Idols

Showing posts with label Idols. Show all posts

October 06, 2014

Durga Puja, CR Park, Delhi

“Ya Devi sarva bhuteshu Matri rupena samsthita

Ya Devi sarva bhuteshu Shakti rupena samsthita

Ya Devi sarva bhutesu Shanti rupena samsthita

Namestasyai Namestasyai Namestasyai Namoh Namah”

“The goddess who is omnipresent as the personification of universal mother

The goddess who is omnipresent as the embodiment of power

The goddess who is omnipresent as the symbol of peace

I bow to her, I bow to her, I bow to her”

Glitter, glitter! (CR Park Kali Bari Puja, 2014)

Come October and the streets of Chittaranjan Park locality (henceforth referred to as CR Park), adoringly christened “Delhi’s mini-Bengal”, delightfully transform into a whirlwind of colors, textures, aromas and culinary pleasures and the entire area comes alive with the sounds of children’s laughter, elderly gossips, trance-inducing religious hymns and gyrating beats of drums that refuse to die down even in the late hours of night – Durga Puja is here and it is that time of the year when the Bengali population gears up to adore and offer obeisance to Goddess Durga, the sophisticated Hindu feminine deity, and in this profound tradition they are joined by hundreds of thousands of residents of the city who turn up at CR Park for a taste of the enviable culture and delectable culinary delights that the Bengalis are renowned for. Though the whole place wears a festive look complete with lights, music and crowds that tend to spill out on the arterial roads and side lanes, the mainstay of the wonderful celebrations remain the numerous, brilliantly-lit grand “pandals” (makeshift temples composed of cloth and paper over a bamboo framework) which are erected in the larger community parks and temple arenas and house idols of the Goddess and her hallowed accomplices – it is around these pandals that it appears that a major fair is in progress where there are joyrides, restaurants, food stalls, shopping counters and souvenir stalls – in fact, at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, each of these extravagant temporary structures, raised primarily through corporate sponsorship (with nominal religio-charitable donations to indicate collective social participation), are constructed at the cost of several million rupees after immense thought and enormous labor and bear a uniquely distinctive and often thematic appearance which eventually culminates into being a major draw for the visitors, spiritual-seekers and photographers for whom this entire festival of colors, lights and humanity is an offer to delve some more into the city’s inconceivably diverse culture and traditions. I have a confession to make before I start discussing the event and the legends behind it – though I spent the last 4 years in Calcutta, I never once witnessed Durga Puja (pronounced “Pujo”) there nor did any of my friends! We kept putting it off for final year and would rush back home in the month-long vacations in each of the three preceding years, but as it happened, I met with the terrible accident just before the celebrations last year while on the way to attend them and all my friends had to stay with me in the hospital for the fortnight that I was admitted and couldn’t enjoy themselves either. We really did want to see Calcutta’s famed theme-based pandals where Egyptian pyramids and several Disneyland jostle for space with palatial mansions and quirky pavilions! Sorry guys!

The Goddess and her children (CR Park B-Block Puja, 2014)

This happened to be my second time attending the festivities in CR Park – the first was in 2011 but I didn’t yet have a camera back then, so essentially this is the first time I have photographic memories of the entire event. Though the puja is held in several locations throughout the city and its numerous suburbs, the one at CR Park, which happens to be the largest pocket of Bengali population settled in Delhi, is definitely the grandest and consists of over half a dozen major pandals, all located in close vicinity to each other so the devotees could easily walk from one to another. Such massive crowds gather to attend the 4-day long celebrations that even the major streets become clogged and are shut down for vehicular entry from late-afternoon onwards. If the kilometers-long snaking, slithering lines of devotees queuing up to enter the pandals and view the Goddess seated with complete regalia and adornments in unique, thematic settings are any witness, the festival has become amazingly popular amongst Delhi’s populace and attracts people irrespective of any distinction of religion, gender or beliefs. Apart from the visual gratification at witnessing these temporary megaliths of light and color that prove to be wonderfully appealing, the other major draw is the huge numbers of beautiful girls who arrive at the pandals attired in dazzling traditional dresses and appearing fashion Goddesses themselves – it is no wonder that the entire locality teems with thousands of young boys rushing here and there following the girls and the entire event is jocularly termed as “Bengali matchmaking party”! Though the festivities begin from the sixth day (“Shashti”) of Navaratris and continue till the ninth following which the idols are immersed in the river Yamuna or a large pond in any part of the city on the tenth day (“Dashami”), the best time to visit is the evening of the eighth day when the event is at its peak, there are several hundred thousand visitors thronging the pandals and the streets are filled with queues of devotees rushing from one pandal to the next – it is in fact best to follow the queues as they would eventually lead one up to the next pandal and then the next and so on. The prayers and celebrations continue entire night and all this while there are thousands on the streets, but we, being students not allowed to stay out all night while at home (I miss the freedom that hostels afford!), generally go for pandal-hopping from 6-10 pm.

Framed (Janak Puri Kali Bari Puja, 2012)

Of the major areas in the locality where the pandals are hosted, the most prominent are the Kalibari Society which is associated and adjacent to the traditionally designed CR Park Kali Bari (Goddess Kali temple), the Cooperative Society and the K and B Blocks – most of the city-based pandals even have their own facebook pages where details and timings of the events are shared along with mindboggling photographs. The Kalibari Society pandal is possibly the largest in the area though the idols of the Goddess and her children they adorn the pandals with are nearly identical every year except for minor differences in the sartorial ornamentation – the pandal is literally massive and takes the form of a majestic, brilliantly-lit shamiana decorated with floral motifs and large chandeliers with the idols and the seating arrangements alongside placed on one side and the food stalls and sales counters outside the pandal on the grassy route leading to it. Sadly, being a major attraction, the pandal also tends to get unbelievably crowded and the same proves a major disadvantage if photography is the purpose, also since the area immediately opposite the idols is dedicated to seating arrangements for the managing committee members and locality residents who get tremendously agitated if disturbed! The B-Block Puja is another major draw every year – this time around, the pandal was constructed as an imitation of a vibrant red “kalash” (ceremonial sacred pot with a coconut placed in its mouth) decorated with colorful floral motifs and bell appendages along the arched entrance – the auspicious interiors were strikingly magnificent – the splendid lightning and the huge paper flowers gracing the roof along with bands of smaller flowers and line flourishes running the length of the entire arena proved spellbindingly gorgeous. The beautiful idols, thoroughly garlanded and lit up with brilliant incandescent bulbs, placed in the vibrant sanctum and peeping through the fragrant incense smoke presented a scene that would easily make one adoringly lapse into silent reminiscences of movie scenes that depict India as a land of religion and spirituality. If that’s not enough, Cooperative Society comes up with an unusual theme every year that would put to shame any visual designer – this time, the theme was “Aqua” and the entire pandal was done with a multitude of shades of blue with waves, flourishes and large spherical white lamps breaking the monotony; large displays of corals and sea life lined the colossal sanctuary at the end of which sat the distinctive idols flanked by vibrantly-colorful corals, sea horses and fishes – it prompted my friends to quip that the Bengalis are obsessed with their fishes (yes, we were served fish curry in hostel every single afternoon and often at night too!), but the pandal was so indescribably stunning that it literally proved to be an eye-opener for everyone who stepped within. Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament, was the chief guest at the Cooperative Society puja this year and we were able to listen to her short speech introducing the government’s recently launched “Swacch Bharat” (“Clean India”) initiative just before exiting.

Aqua! (Cooperative Society Puja, 2014)

Apart from these, there are numerous smaller pandals too (like Pocket-52) where one can easily sit down and gossip with friends without being disturbed by the humongous crowds or continuous whistles of guards prompting devotees to exit the arena once they are done with the viewing so others too could enter the confined space. The heartwarming prayers and rhythmic chanting of verses to the tunes of cymbals and bells is interspersed with dances where women (unfailingly dressed in fine red and white bordered sarees) and occasionally men too use earthen bowls with coal smoking-smoldering within as props to be held in hands and mouth; throughout the prayers, many women also produce heartrending shrieks which are said to be the battle cries of Goddess Durga and are regarded as conducive to feminine reproductive fertility; the ritualistic Dhaak players with their elongated, leather-encased, colorful feather-surmounted drums propped against their backs set the beats for the prayers/dances and one’s heart fervently goes dhak-dhak-thump with each cycle of beats. Apart from these, extravagant Durga Puja celebrations are also held in other parts of the city like Kashmere Gate, Minto Road, Janak Puri and Dwarka. The puja at Janak Puri Kali Bari is very traditional and does not boast of fancy pandals or quirky themes, as apparent from some of the photos shared in this article. The Kali Bari is located just a stone’s throw away from my maternal uncle’s residence and I have been attending the festivities there for the last 3-4 years – more than the magnificently ornamented idols sculpted in varied boon-conferring poses and armed with a plethora of weaponry, the attraction here are the food stalls set up by local Bengali residents who serve homemade traditional Bengali fare, continental dishes and quirky fusions of the two! But be it any part of the city, the pandals and the temples take the form of energetic miniature fairs which have everything for everyone – they are a shopper’s delight, a devotee’s dream, a retailer’s paradise and a child’s playground!

Lights! (Janak Puri Kali Bari Puja, 2012)

The traditions, like several others, have begun to involve modern commercial touches – with the idols and pandals getting bigger and more superbly ornamented every year, the overall cost of setting up the pandals has been skyrocketing thereby limiting the number of pujas in the city as well as their being restricted to affluent pockets with an ability to score corporate sponsorship through advertisements and sale stall bookings; the use of metallic paints, plastics and other toxic materials have begun to pose considerable economic threats, especially to the river and pond ecologies following idol immersion; finally, many of the artists and sculptors face increasingly difficult prospects despite the overall increase in puja budgeting and financing, prompting many of them to exit this hereditary traditional practice that is so intricately associated with the culture and religious existence of the population. Thankfully, some changes are noticeable, especially the initiative of many pandals to minimize or completely eliminate use of ecologically-harmful or non-perishable items and the efforts to incorporate more traditional rituals and organize the events in a manner as close to the original as possible. Also, the organizers have been introducing many events – sports competitions, music concerts, night outs for the elderly, talent shows etc – to make the event more inclusive and entertaining. The puja remains one of the greatest Bengali festivals that the city hosts and it really is worth being there to witness this extravagant parade of culture, celebrations, food and sculptural artwork. After all, it’s just once a year! Joy Maa!

Legends associated with Durga Puja – The Bengali festival, also referred to as “Sarada Utsova” (“autumnal worship”), is in continuation with Navaratri celebrations that are observed throughout the country in different forms. The first day of Navaratris is known as “Mahalaya” in Bengali culture and on this particular day the devotees reverentially invite the Goddess to descend to earth with her children; amidst much fanfare, the sculptors paint the all-seeing eyes of the idols (“Chakshu-daan”) and the general population heads to a temple or one of the sacred shrines at the banks of the holy river Ganga to pray for the souls of their ancestors and perform appeasing rituals. Married women devotees indulge in a colorful play where they smear each other with vermilion powder (“sindoor-kheli”) on the tenth day (“Dashami”) of the Puja; later the idols are carried in elaborate processions to be immersed in the river (as emblematic of her returning to her abode only to return next year). The tenth (last) day of Navaratris is also celebrated throughout the country as “Vijayadashmi” or the celebration of the victory of good over evil since this is also the day when the ancient king Rama, an ideal son-husband-warrior-statesman-emperor-scholar and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu (the Hindu God of life and nourishment), defeated the mighty demon lord Ravana whose effigies are still set afire throughout the country as symbolic of defeating and incinerating evil practices from one’s mind as well as society. These aspects of the festival have been covered in detail in separate articles here –

"Kalash" - Ceremonial pot shaped pandal (CR Park B-Block Puja, 2014)

Mythological lore credits the unparalleled rage exhibited by the trinity of Hindu deity pantheon – Brahma (creator of universe), Vishnu (nourisher) and Shiva (destroyer) – as responsible for the emergence of the primordial, all-consuming universal energy that attained feminine appearance as Goddess Durga when they received information of the defeat of the Gods and their armies at the hands of the demon lord Mahishasura. Mahishasura is said to have been born from the copulation of a demon and a woman cursed to exist as a buffalo (Mahishi) and thus could easily transform to either appearance; moreover he possessed immense physical and meditative strength that was a result of extreme penances that he undertook to impress Gods into granting him boons, thus ensuring his near invincibility. In his arrogance, when he challenged and vanquished the Gods from heavens, the sacred trinity invoked Goddess Durga who was then equipped with battle gear and weapons by all the chief Gods and Goddesses so she could take the field against Mahishasura’s massive legions which she did with such inconceivable fury and armed with such terrible weaponry in each of her numerous arms that all three worlds shook with her rage and many demon chiefs dropped dead with fear. She and her fierce lion annihilated the entire demon army including mighty Mahishasura himself, but tradition holds that before his death the demon king worshipped the Goddess and impressed her into conferring the honor of having him present everywhere where she is prayed to – thus even today, every Durga idol is depicted in the “Mahishasuramardini” (“Mahishasura slayer”) form with the Goddess's lion straddling a prostrate/dead buffalo and her glittering trident piercing the demon’s muscular body. Apart from the Goddess, Durga Puja pandals also host idols of her children – Ganesha (the elephant-headed, pot-bellied God of auspiciousness, beginnings and knowledge, considered to be the son of good-natured, charming Goddess Parvati, an incarnation of Durga), Kartikeya (another son of Parvati, the mighty warrior-commander of divine armies who flies throughout the universe on his peacock), Saraswati (the Goddess of learning, music and scriptures) and Laxmi (the Goddess of wealth and prosperity), thus representing in the five deities the complete manifestation of the divine energy as itself, the protector, the initiator, the knowledge source and the provider of means for the worship. The latter two are often regarded as incarnations as well as divine daughters of the Goddess herself. Mythological texts regard Lord Rama as the first person to worship the Goddess in this period and form when he seeked her guidance in the battle against Ravana which she amply provided leading to the former’s victory which is till date celebrated every year as Vijayadashmi/Dussehra.

Sculptural art! (CR Park Pocket-52 Puja, 2014)

Some suggestions for pandal hopping –

The pandals come up around the sixth day of Navaratris and can be visited then to photograph the idols and the architecture. It is advisable to visit them on the eighth day evening to catch the puja in its truly wild frenzy.
Since the pandals are located within walking distance of each other, wear good shoes since you might have to stay for several hours and walk several kilometers even if visiting only 4-5 pandals. Also be prepared to stand in enormously long queues (we generally find a way to cut in the middle with some excuse – try that, else you will end up in the queue at each pandal for at least half an hour!)
It is best not to take your own vehicles and catch the bus/metro to CR Park/any other pandal destinations in the city, since the roads are generally so choked with people that driving a car/two-wheeler would be near impossible.
Follow the crowds from one pandal to another if not aware of their locations. It is nonetheless advisable to have a general idea about which ones one wants to visit since otherwise you might end up going in circles between two-three pandals! The best pujas in CR Park are Kali Bari Society, Cooperative Society, Mela Ground, K-Block, B-Block and Dakshin Pali Mela Ground.
Carry as little stuff – handbags, laptops etc – with you as possible since the arenas get tremendously crowded and there is every chance of losing the items. Also take care of wallets and cameras and beware of pickpockets and thieves.
Keep some extra cash if you are a shopaholic and might end up wishing to purchase clay idols and religious decorative items. Try the cuisine, especially the non-vegetarian options like kebabs and fish.

Silver! (Janak Puri Kali Bari Puja, 2014)

How to reach: Take an auto from Nehru Place metro station to CR Park, it would drop you the furthest it can and from here you can simply follow, from pandal to pandal, the crowds massing for the puja. The best time to visit is eighth day evening of Navaratris.

If also interested in attending the puja at Janak Puri Kali Bari: It is best to visit the temple on the sixth day evening of Navaratris. It is located at a walking distance from Tilak Nagar metro station. One can also avail an auto for Janak Puri Choti Sabzi Mandi (Vegetable market) and walk from there on.

Entrance fees: Nil

Photography/Video charges: Nil

Time required for sightseeing: At least 30 minutes per pandal. Best earmark 3-4 hours for pandal hopping including dinner too. One can stay all night and traverse from one to the next if willing to, though the crowds begin thinning around midnight.

Relevant Links -

Suggested reading -

September 09, 2013

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!!

"Pixelated Memories" wishes all its readers a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival of the pot-bellied, elephant-headed Hindu God who is the destroyer of obstacles & the harbinger of auspiciousness besides being the patron of sciences & intellect.

June 18, 2013

Sea Ip Club, Calcutta

Relegated to a corner where it can be conveniently forgotten amidst the bustle & noise that defines a regular day in the life of a Calcuttan, & accompanied by the ruckus raised by hundreds of vehicles that ply close to it, the din raised by the forever-chattering passer-bys, the peddlers trying to make some extra rupees & a heavy smoke that emanates from the vehicles as well as the smoldering piles of garbage heaped close by, the Sea Ip Club is unique – as a structure it is relatively young compared to many of its counterparts in this old (nay, ancient) city, as a relic of a culture it belongs to the Chinese community who are almost marginalized in the city that has been the bastion of Hindus, Muslims & the British, & as a symbol of faith it is referred to as a church/temple only by those who are not very intimate with its history (it is a “Quan Ti” or a men’s club, & not a church/temple even though it is used for congregational purposes by the Chinese community who have called Calcutta their home for almost two & a half centuries).

Sea Ip Club

As the Chinese poured into Calcutta when it was modeled by the British into a colony, they began constituting clubs & groups catering to the social & cultural needs of the different demographics that formed the bulk of the recent immigrants. The community built a niche, an enclave for itself, complete with traditional architecture, customs, language & practices - there were dragon & lion dances to be seen, dragon motifs all around, paper lanterns embossed with Chinese characters, brilliantly painted homes, signposts & doorways. Chinese food with its unmistakable aroma & flavors became the most famous item, closely followed by the celebration of Chinese festivals – the New Year, Rice Pudding Festival & the Moon Festival. One of the largest groups that settled in Calcutta & became an inseparable constituent of its homogenous identity were the Sea Ip (“Si-yi”, literally “Four Districts”) who hailed from the Guangdong Province in China, spoke Cantonese & were exceptional carpenters. Members of the community set up the Sea Ip Club for recreational purposes with donations raised from amongst them in the year 1905. The Sea Ip Club is one of the largest of the Chinese Clubs in Calcutta, though not as large as the Nam Soon Club about which I have done a previous post here – Pixelated Memories - Nam Soon Club

Spread over two floors of a small red-colored building that looks more like a shop than a club or a religious structure, the Club boasts of a meeting place on its ground floor & a shrine dedicated to Kwan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of war, mercy & love (isn’t writing war in conjugation with traits like mercy & love an oxymoron??). It is the shrine that interested me when I chose to visit the Club on a chilly February morning a few days before the Chinese New Year. As I had feared, the Club was closed for some much-needed repairs & a cleanup drive as a run up to the upcoming celebrations. Thankfully, some of the local men of Chinese descent were present in the Club, discussing matters of family & daily life when I reached the Club. Following much persuasion, I was allowed to visit the shrine under the watchful gaze of the caretaker & cleaner of the Club (I think her name was Kamala, nonetheless apologies for forgetting not remembering it clearly).

The shrine consists of an idol of the Goddess seated within a much larger ornamentative frame that is crafted exquisitely & painstakingly in traditional Chinese style. Next to the larger frame is a smaller one in which sits another idol. However the idols are not alone in their placement – though they take up the prime center space within their respective frames & catch the eye almost immediately, the central idol shares space with several smaller porcelain idols of other deities while the idol in the adjacent frame is flanked by traditional Chinese porcelain vases.

Kwan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of war, mercy & compassion

More eye catching than the idols are their large, impressive frames that are carved with vegetation, dragons, humans & several species of birds & are decked with brilliant red Chinese lanterns & wind chimes. A large, golden canopy hangs in the front portion of the sanctum & beneath it rests a small table on which are placed more idols, candle-holders & a metallic joss stick holder. Except for the two idols within the shrine that look like they are made of metal, all the other idols in the sanctum are made of porcelain & painted in vibrant reds, blues & yellows. Near one of the walls stands a large cupboard stuffed with several more of the porcelain idols (there are “Laughing Buddhas” here too!!) that can be viewed through the glass display window. The walls are decked with several traditional ornamentations & hangings, including metallic plates that are surmounted on poles & marked with heads of metal reindeers, spears, fish motifs & bands of cloth embroidered with Chinese characters. Though the ceremonial red candles (“Lap Chok”) & the fragrant joss sticks (“Siang”) have all fizzled out even before they could burn properly, the sanctum is filled with their fragrance. The cleaner lady throws buckets full of waters on the windows to get the dirt off & inadvertently wets me too (thankfully no harm to the camera, though my wet socks ensure my feet are shriveled up & have turned pink by the end of the day!!).

Close up of the frame that encloses Kwan Yin's idol

On closer inspection, the idols within the frames look more Hindu than Chinese – wrapped up in pink clothes, a garland of marigolds & another of rupee notes round their necks, headgear resembling the traditional Hindu “mukuts” & LED panels to top the headgear which remind one of the peacock feather that Krishna (said to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God of life, sustenance & preservation) donned on his headgear. Are the Chinese trying to blend in with the local population?? Perhaps a better question would be why should they try to blend in & not preserve their unique & beautiful culture.

Sophisticated!!

There isn’t much to do except photograph the shrine, one can go out in the balcony that overlooks the space outside, but then except for a few hand-rickshaws stacked next to each other, the occasional beggars & the peddlers, & the steady stream of traffic that flows like a never ending stream next to the Club, there isn’t much to see here too. The cleaner lady asks me to get out of her way unless I wish to be soaked wet again. I humbly follow orders. Her wide smile enters her glistening eyes when I look terrified at the thought of being drenched with pails of cold water again. I realize that we are quicker in our movements when we are afraid (as in my exit from the shrine) than when we are excited (as in my clambering up the stairs to reach the shrine).

The plethora of porcelain idols that grace a side cupboard in the sanctum

The crowd of the old men gossiping downstairs has thinned, though it wasn’t even a crowd when I came in, I could have counted them on my two hands. Perhaps that says something about the Chinese community & their steadily diminishing numbers in Calcutta following migration in search of greener pastures such as Australia & Canada & a bid to avoid humiliating persecution & deportation during the Sino-Indian War of 1962. Today only about 3,000-4,000 Chinese are left in Calcutta, at one time there were more than 20,000. Though we Indians pride ourselves when it comes to ours being a secular, all-encompassing & all-accepting society, we haven’t been fair to the Indians of Chinese descent (they are Indians, as naturalized as me or my grandparents who came to India from Pakistan in 1947), a case that can also be made by looking at the sad state of the Sea Ip Club. Dejection often makes us look at the brighter side of things, I couldn’t find any except the hope that my article brings to light the state of a marginalized community & their places of congregation/worship to the notice of many who might be in a position to do some good. Amen!

Scene marked on one of the panels in the sanctum

Location: India Exchange Place (Extension), close to the Kolkata Improvement Trust (KIT) Building, Tiretta Bazaar Area (Pronounced Tiretti Bazaar)
Open: Sunrise to sunset
How to reach: From St. Andrew’s Church in BBD Bagh Area (refer post Pixelated Memories - St. Andrew's Church for identification), ask directions for Poddar Court, it lies straight ahead into one of the roads that emanate from the Church. From Poddar Court, ask for KIT Building, Sea Ip is next to it.
Entrance fee: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: 30 min
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Suggested Reading -

March 03, 2013

Kumar Mangalam Park, Durgapur

Among the famous attractions in Durgapur is a large park popularly known as Mohan Kumar Mangalam (MKM) Park. Christened after M.K. Mangalam, the first Steel Minister of India, it was commissioned by Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP), a vast industrial complex that is the core of Durgapur’s livelihood & industry & employs a large proportion of the population here. A popular lover’s spot, the park boasts of a small lake for boating purposes, well-maintained lawns, a toy train giving a ride of the entire estate & even a musical fountain. The park becomes the site for festivities & frolic on the occasion of Holi, Chath Puja etc when people gather in hordes to perform pujas (ceremonial prayers), distribute food & sweets, meet friends & enjoy the gaiety.

There exist two entrances to the park, both of which are used for entry as well as exit. Ticket counters exist at both the entrances, & if you ask me, these entrances are the most beautiful part of the entire park complex. Each entrance is shaped like a horse-shoe, the opening of which faces the street outside, & in the curved wall are two separate openings from where the visitors enter & exit the park. The hut-like ticket counters are situated at the opening in the horse-shoe curve & sleepy security guards keep a drowsy watch over the proceedings. As I mentioned, the entrances are picturesque – the first has a large bronze statue of Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu God of luck & beginnings, dancing & playing cymbals with a fierce (aggressive??) expression on his face. The sand-brown colored horse-shoe wall around the statue is embossed with human figurines – kids playing on swings, families picnicking, people going around in miniature trains & boats – giving an indication of what entertainments wait inside.

The Ganesha idol

The other entrance’s curved wall displays traditional dances that are performed in the various states of India. Not sure if the rest of the park would live up to our expectations (I had been living in Durgapur for almost 2 years then & what glitters here is never gold!!), I spent 15 minutes photographing the latter entrance (that’s where we entered from since it is close to our college).

One of the panels at the first entrance

Inside, the park, though well-maintained, reeks of ignorance & waste. Calling it “boring” would be an understatement – more than half of the 80-acre park remains out of bounds for visitors, the fountains & the toy train were out of order, in the name of swings is a little merry-go-round & a small maze, the refreshments shop is criminally expensive. Owing to some constraints, DSP itself could not continue with the maintenance of the park & in the year 2006 leased it out to a private firm known as EXALT SERVICES Pvt. Ltd. It seems the people at EXALT are not taking their job that seriously & are simply cashing in on the fact that the population of Durgapur does not have many other options for entertainment & family get-togethers. EXALT has actually given a list of initiatives they took to improve the park’s ambiance here - EXALT - Development Done. Though I did not see much of what they are talking about despite visiting the place 7 years after they took over the park from DSP.

Out-of-order!!

The park caretakers had difficulty comprehending both English & Hindi & their attitude bordered on rude, & the guards at the second entrance asked us to buy a second set of tickets only because we had stepped out to photograph the Ganesha idol & that too when they saw us exclaim about the statue & go round it under their watchful supervision. There were no kids in the park, the rides were all empty. However almost every bench & every boat was occupied by couples, even the space under the trees & behind the bushes wasn’t spared. It was “bees & birds” all around. With not a single bench vacant for us to sit upon, we had all the more of an excuse to go out as quickly as we could – Mr Guard you can keep your stupid tickets!! The place is in fact a good enough spot for those couples who want to get together & cuddle & kiss, & it is also a good spot for those who are frustrated & single & go about looking at all the other couples smooch – sadly, I fall into neither of the two categories. So goodbye KMP Park, I am never coming here again. Thanks, but no thanks, for your rudeness & ignorance.

This is what we expected..

Disclaimer – Perhaps our experience was a one-off incident, perhaps the caretakers & guards had a rough day at work & are usually cordial with the visitors, & also perhaps the place isn’t as boring as I felt – but I have the right to put forward my views & do hope that the EXALT Group &/or the inhabitants of Durgapur do not send me lots of hate mail. Or sue me!!
(The last time I wrote about Durgapur, some people did get very angry & I had to deal with their choice words even though I did not write anything as critical as this article.)

Sigh! No kids here!

Location: At walking distance from the National Institute of Technology (or R.E. College as the people here know it).

How to reach: Buses, autos & taxis are available from different parts of the city. One can also walk from the City Center.

Entrance Fees: Rs 10 per person

Photography Charges: Rs 10

Video Charges: Rs 25

Relevant Links about Durgapur -

February 17, 2013

Nam Soon Club, Calcutta

The best things in life, though always close to us, are often hidden out of view by their simplicity. A few days before the Chinese New Year, I travelled to the China Towns in Calcutta to see the clubs (“Quan Ti”) set up by the first Chinese settlers to the country. These settlers came to India in the year 1780 as workers of the sugar factory set up by the Chinese sailor-merchant Tai Pak Kung aka Yong Achew who was granted land by the British. The British had then turned Bengal (& later the rest of the country too) into a colony, a trading outpost. The settler’s colony was christened “Achipur” after Achew – but Achew soon lost his fortunes & had to take heavy loans against his own personal signature from the British East India Company. Achew died broke & broken-hearted, however he stamped an unforgettable change in Bengal’s demographics - his fellow settlers soon moved out of Achipur & settled in the modern day Tangra & Tiretti Bazaar areas. Here they built more clubs - the clubs were set up with material donations from their communities & slowly took the form of temples dedicated to Chinese Gods (they were called churches during British rule). While other foreigners who arrived in colonized India have since disappeared, the Chinese stayed back & left a deep imprint on Calcutta’s society & traditions, especially the food & music. As the population increased, Tiretti Bazaar, once the largest Chinese settlement & an assortment of Chinese clubs, monasteries, opium-dens, gambling haunts, eateries & temples, soon turned into a maze of narrow, claustrophobic streets that wind back onto themselves & induce a feeling of being lost & trapped.

The small but striking doorway leading to the courtyard of the Nam Soon club, painted red & green & featuring the name of the club in Chinese characters, is a blink-and-you-miss thing despite its out of place decor & colors. Just like the Black Residence in the Harry Potter franchise, this doorway too is so well hidden that even those specifically looking for it would have trouble locating it.

Found it!

I visited the six clubs located in the Tiretti Bazaar area & the last & the most impressive was the Nam Soon, located at the far end of a narrow street lined with hand-pulled rickshaws & meat shops. The largest & the oldest among all the Chinese clubs in Tiretti Bazaar, Nam Soon was built in 1820 & has since been preserved in its original state. It boasts of a large courtyard, rooms for travellers & the aged, a vibrantly painted & well-maintained shrine, & a small school imparting the knowledge of Chinese traditions & language to several young children of Chinese descent. The club was originally built for the members of the Chinese provinces of Nan Hai, Phan Yu & Shun Tak who share similar traditions & compatible customs. Some of the members donated the idols & the objects used for rituals, others helped monetarily – the names of all these donors are preserved in the club still. Initially only men could register themselves as club members – the womenfolk had to depend on their husband’s/father’s membership at the time of ceremonies. But now the clubs have been thrown open to all.

Glitter glimmer

Inside the club, the presence of the young girls & a single boy is a welcome relief – not for reasons you might come up with!! But because all other clubs in the area have either none or very old residents. All the people, except for the caretaker who was very old, in the Nam Soon were in the age group 14-17 – strikingly beautiful, with Mongoloid features, jovial smiles & an amazingly fluent command over English. The boy insisted that the club was closed at that time of the day, but some magic words (“Delhi”, “Writer-blogger” & “Documenting”, not necessarily in that order) ensured the caretaker welcome me in gladly.

Here be dragons!

Like its outside, the club is very spacious on the inside too. In front of the shrine stand three red tables over which hangs a golden canopy. The canopy depicts Chinese scenes, complete with buildings topped with curving roofs, humans & birds. The last of these tables is embossed with birds, foliage & lions in deep golden, lush green & blazing yellow. All the décor in the room is blood red & a panel extends along the side walls through which thin poles project vertically. Each of these poles is vaulted by Chinese symbols – spears, fancy daggers, sacred scrolls & such. One pole on each side is fixed with a very thin, golden-painted plaque depicting mythical battle scenes, held in place by small, golden replicas of reindeer heads.

But all that glitters...

The shrine is made up of three separate altars – the central, being the largest & more elaborately ornamented, houses a large idol of Kwai Yin, the Chinese Goddess of war, mercy and love. The other two altars house the idols of Kwai Yin’s war companions. As is the custom in Chinese churches, a large bell & an even larger drum hang on either side of the entrance. On one of the side panels is affixed a yellow Chinese man in a martial position & holding a hook in his hand – the man might have looked like a warrior were it not for his bulging belly & blood-red eyes!!

Vibrancy!

Back in the courtyard again, the children had started practicing the dragon dance – the girls were wearing dragon costumes & enacting scenes to the beats of a drum that another girl beat. There were two dragons – a large green one manned by two girls & a small pink dragon manned by a single girl. The boy informed me that they were preparing for the Chinese New Year performance & got busy clicking pictures of his friends. I looked at the eldest girl (who was the green dragon) dancing for permission to click - a smile & a nod made my day. Mesmerized I looked on (& photographed) as the two dragons moved to the beats – the green one being cowed down by the pink one. The performance lasted twenty minutes after which the girls took a small rest before starting again – it was then that I took my leave from the group & walked out of the club.

Happy Chinese New Year!

For a long time I walked, & thought, about the club, its beautiful girls & deep colors of tradition. A foreign language & traditions, resounding in the heart of what is largely a Bengali Muslim locality. The feeling of transportation to a different world, a different culture system, is so complete that the structures receding into the depths of anonymity leave a mark on the visitor – a deep respect for the varied cultures in this diverse country is blossomed. Infecting everyone with its contagious happiness, the club stands as a forgotten oasis in the middle of a crumbling poverty-stricken locale.

Location: Tiretti Bazaar Area
How to reach: From Esplanade Bus/Metro Station walk or take a taxi to Writer's Building. Turn right from Andrew's Church & walk straight. Ask for Kolkata Telephone Kendra - across the street on the left of the building is a narrow lane that leads to Nam Soon. Nam Soon is at the very end, tucked between other crumbling buildings & usually hidden from view by the wares hung out by other shops.
Open: All days
Entrance Fee: Nil
Photography/Video charges: Nil
Time required for sightseeing: About 30 min
Relevant Links -
Another Chinese church/club nearby - Pixelated Memories - Sea Ip Club
Other monuments/landmarks in the immediate vicinity -

November 14, 2012

Kali Puja, Durgapur

Today is Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights & crackers. It is believed that on this day, King Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya (in modern day Uttar Pradesh) after spending 14 years in exile in the various forests of the country, & since it was a (dark) new moon night, the people of Ayodhya welcomed him by lighting lamps at their doorsteps & terraces & boundary walls, & at all those places where they could place a lamp. Hindus believe Rama to be an ideal human being – epitomising the qualities of “Dharma” (literally “religion”, but actually meaning “a way of life”), & of course he is also considered by many as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God of life & preservation. During his exile, which was a result of a plot by his step-mother Kekeyi who wanted to place her own son Bharata on the throne of Ayodhya, Rama travelled as far as Lanka (which is supposedly the modern island of Sri Lanka) to free his wife Sita who was treacherously kidnapped & imprisoned in a garden-orchard by Ravana, the lord of Lanka, often believed to be an embodiment of evil itself & portrayed with ten heads & ridiculously large moustaches. As I had promised in the “Navaratris” post (refer Pixelated Memories - Navaratris if you still don't know what Navaratris are, or just to see the photographs), I shall be covering more of festivities & celebrations in this blog. However this post is not about Diwali – sadly, once again I am struck in Durgapur where Diwali is not celebrated with as much gaiety as North India. Instead, Bengalis celebrate Kali Puja (“Puja” = "worship") on the day of Diwali. Huge pandals (tents made after covering humongous bamboo scaffoldings with cloth & other decorative material) are set up according to a pre-decided theme, wherein an idol of Goddess Kali is housed. Visitors come & go, each one with hands folded & heads bowed reverentially in front of the idol. The pandal theme usually shows one or the other cultural &/or traditional aspect, sometimes seemingly bizarre, for instance I have seen pandals made with jute & coir to promote the local cottage industry, & I have also seen pandals designed to look like the Egyptian Sphinx, complete with varied hieroglyphics & housing a Kali idol where the treasure was supposed to be!!

Pandal - Benachity Market, Durgapur, 2012

While in the rest of the country, Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of wealth & prosperity, & a sister of Kali, is worshipped, Bengalis worship Kali – the dark skinned Goddess of death & destruction, often considered to be an embodiment of time itself. Kali is the consort of Lord Shiva, the Hindu God of death, & while Shiva himself wears serpents as his neckpieces, Kali wears a necklace made out of severed demonic heads, her tongue jutting out of her mouth thirsting for blood, & her swords & scimitars flashing their sharp blades. She is the annihilator of evil forces, who runs around naked, killing demons & wrongdoers in her wake, & consuming everything around herself like an ever-growing fire. The image of Kali is a fierce one, several of my friends avoid going to even the famous Kali temples (such as Kalighat, Calcutta, refer Pixelated Memories - Kalighat) & idol-making workshops since they are terrified of these images. But not me!! A day before Diwali, & we (that is, me & my friends Kshitish & Aakash) find ourselves standing outside a workshop where Kali idols are made by skilled artisans in anticipation of this day.

The dark one

The workshop is in Benachity, which is a large market place in the heart of Durgapur (which literally means “the land of Durga”, Durga is another sister of Kali). We aren’t afraid of Kali – she is also the bestower of boons, a mother diety, who when appeased fulfils one’s desires & helps overcome all obstacles. She is also associated with sex, lust & tantra (which has come to be associated only with Black Magic & Voodoo, but is also the appeasement of Goddess for financial & health gains, as well as attainment of “Moksha” – independence from worldly shackles & bonds & an inculcation into the “Supreme Being”). Tantra also considers Kali as the primordial deity, who devours everything, even the Gods themselves, at the end of creation. She is Shakti, the bestower of strength & power.

Naked divinity

Kali Puja is one of the foremost festivals in Bengal, & idol-making is a big business here (just like effigy-making is in Tatarpur, see Pixelated Memories - Ravana making in Tatarpur, New Delhi ), with the entire families helping out in the process – which begins with accumulating the proper kind of soil & sand to create the idol’s framework, & includes the designing of frame, painting it in vivid colours, & decking it up with beads, decorative accessories & cloth in dazzling shades. The artists who make these idols are skilled & design these idols in a uniform manner, but with varying colours & an assortment of forms – so there are idols varying in size from 3-30 feet, coloured blue, black, or cream & covered with white, red, or yellow tiaras. Kali is usually shown naked in order to show her transcending the boundaries of consciousness by not covering her femininity, however since many patrons prefer not to take the naked Goddess home, there are even versions covered with beautiful transparent cloth – in shocking red, white & greens.

Spoiled for choice!!

The idols at times do look scary indeed, the blood-red tongues darting out of the black & blue faces, the three eyes, the dishevelled hair, the large headgear shining in the little rays of light that are able to enter the dingy & dark workshops, the waist girdle made with severed hands of dead men, & the neck pendants made of evil-looking heads. Often the Goddess is shown carrying skulls & thigh bones, rather than swords & battle axes, making her even more ferocious. But then, always her two right hands are shown showering blessings & favour on devotees & easing their pain & terror at her appearance.

Is she on our side??

The workshop in Benachity belonged to one Shambo Das, who claimed to be an idol-artist for the past 25 years & believed the Goddess is a harbinger of good luck to him. A modest man, who wanted us to tour the idol-workshops of Calcutta & the rest of Durgapur, before calling his idols stunning, he allowed me to take as many photographs as I wanted to. Here there were even idols of Durga, Shiva, Ganesh (Shiva-Durga’s son, the elephant-headed, pot-bellied God of wisdom, beginnings & goodluck), Ganas (the followers of Shiva, shown as short & stubby men with large tummies & cute expressions) – to portray the entire family of Kali. Of course they forgot that Kali had 8 more sisters (some say they are all incarnations of one another – Bhavani, Gauri, Rajeshwari, etc).

All in the family!!

Then there is the prostrate Shiva who lies under Kali’s feet like a mattress, the snakes clinging to his body flinging violently, their aggressive expressions in contrast to Shiva’s calm & soothing face. According to one myth, when Kali was invoked in the war against the demon Raktabija (literally “Blood-seed”, each drop of blood from his body could assume a new demonic form), she appeared in her wild form & drank all of Raktabija’s blood in order to prevent him from producing more duplicates. But she did not stop after slaying him, but went on destroying friends & foes alike who stood in her path, severing their heads, mutilating their bodies & feasting on their blood & flesh. Soon the balance of the world was disturbed by her destructive activities & ruthlessness, & Lord Shiva was invoked to soothe her. Unable to avail of any method to prevent her from more killing & torture, Shiva went & lay at Kali’s feet, immediately calming her. Since then she is shown standing upon her husband’s body & also to this day, meat & spirits are offered instead of the usual sweets at her temple. Kali Puja sees the sacrifice of numerous goats, buffaloes & fowl at the temples & community prayer grounds. Bells are rung, mantras (invocations) chanted, the idols are smeared in vermilion & devotees pray all night long to appease the Goddess. Kali dominates the Tantric texts & iconography, & the Tantriks & Siddhas (followers of Tantra & devotees of Kali) take special pleasure in celebrating Kali Puja – slaughtering goats to propitiate the Goddess’s anger & to win her favour. They decorate their houses with skulls – not just human, but animal alike, & often partake of blood themself. The Tantriks believe in facing Kali in the cremation ground, her home turf, to overcome all fear of her & to be able to look at her like a mother, a source of infinite power & energy. But in non-Tantrik Bengali households, feasts are held, that include a multi-course dinner ending with the delectable Rasogulla. But almost everywhere, the Goddess is offered pure wine (“Soma ras”/”Madira”) which is said to find special favour with her.

& here is another one!!

Before I end this post, I have to tell you about the pandals – they are just awesome, & reflect the creativity of the people who envision them & the skill of the artists who craft them out of seemingly simple material. With nimble limbs, the workers rapidly climb up bamboo poles & scaffolding to cover & decorate them. & decorate they do with much gusto – the simple yet intricate designs reflect their passion & reverence for the Goddess. People visit these pandals from far & near, special prayers are organized here & one can even spot women uttering strange shrieks – said to be Kali’s battle cry, & supposed to bring fertility to women – shrill & fierce, these cries add a fearsome gusto to the proceedings. Musicians playing “Dhak” (large drums fitted with feathers & leaves) reach a crescendo with the prayers & the dance. Wafts of incense travel far to pull one & all to the pandals. & of course, there are beautiful girls in traditional attires to talk to!!

Seated in a pandal

It is interesting to note that Kali finds little, if any, mention in the ancient Hindu texts, & the festival of Kali Puja came to be celebrated in Bengal only after Maharaja Krishna Chandra (a fief holder of Bengal) popularised it in 18th century & expected the people in his domain to organize it with much fanfare. Before that the Puja was celebrated at a very small scale every year in certain localized areas of Bengal. Later, Krishna Chandra’s grandson Ishwar Chand along with the other landlords began patronizing the Puja, & this influx of money & resources ensured that Kali Puja took enormous proportions & became one of the main festivals of the Bengali community. The Puja is today organized in almost all parts of the country & abroad – wherever a sizeable Bengali community has settled. Also it has become much more inclusive than before, so in addition to the worship to Kali, many pandals also organize large fairs complete with miniature Ferris wheels & food & sweet stalls to provide something for the Non-Bengalis & the kids.

Just felt like posting another pic!!

The Puja goes on all night, & also intermittently on the next two days. On the third day after Kali Puja, the idols are immersed in a stream of flowing water, usually the sea or a river. The Goddess waits in the infinite abyss, waiting for her insurrection the next year, thirsting for fresh blood all that while.

When : Kali Puja coincides with Diwali & falls on Kartik Amavasya (Kartik is a winter month in the traditional Hindu calendar, while Amavasya refers to the new moon night). Usually in late October - early November.

Where : Throughout Bengal.