“Ma, please keep the saree I purchased recently, ironed for me, I’ll wear it for my school’s Saraswati puja.”
“Are you sure? Why not wear the pale yellow saree that I used to wear to my college’s Saraswati puja?”
Bengali’s Saraswati puja is not just a festival, it is the celebration of the enduring spirit of knowledge, culture, youth and the onset of the spring. Waking up at dawn, squirming and taking a bath in the chilled water and then placing your books, pens and instruments near the goddess, followed by the parent’s continuous chants and warning that the books should not be touched or picked before ‘anjali’ is over or you will not be blessed with the wisdom of knowledge, this more or less is a schema that we all well relate to. Worshipping and honouring the goddess of knowledge, Saraswati puja over the years might have undergone a shift and while the longing to sit with friends in the school’s classroom, enjoying piping hot plate of ‘khichudi, labra’ might have been replaced with the desire to go cafe hopping after visiting school’s Saraswati puja braving long queues, it still is a day when the joy of not having to touch your books can never be transgressed. Marked with traditions and celebrating the essence of culture, and knowledge, The Statesman talked to individuals about what Saraswati puja meant to them and means to them and how the spirit of celebration has changed over the years.
“Oh, the fun we used to have. Waking up even before the sun rose, wearing my mother’s cherished saree, all was part and parcel of this day. During my childhood days, buying a new saree for Saraswati puja was not prevalent, for us, picking up a yellow saree from our mother’s closet was the real charm. From praying to the goddess, giving ‘anjali’, to sitting with friends and fighting over who got an extra sweet, there was no time to waste on that day. It was also the only day when we were allowed to go out with friends, even though close by and spend some quality time outside school. But, I think the preparation for this one day started a week or two ago. During those days, people- uncles and ‘dadas’ were given the responsibility to construct the pandal and we were entrusted with the flower decorations. I still remember how we used to go to Kumartuli a day before and bring the goddess home and stay up the whole night, doing alpona, and completing every possible task. But the highlight of the day? The joy of not being forced to study, although we made sure that we prayed hard enough to the goddess so we could pass the exam with flying colours.”
Nandini Das, 70
“While the core definition of Saraswati puja has not changed, the ways it is celebrated and how everybody indulges in the festivities have changed a lot. During our school days, almost 40 years ago, the preparation for this one-day festivity began at least a month in advance. From meeting the artisans at Kumortuli to shopping for the puja and ‘bhog’, everything was done by the students; especially, the students of class nine- they were at the helm of managing the whole thing. Again, Saraswati pujo often meant getting freedom from the restrictions that were imposed on you year-round. Whether it’s the warning from parents that you cannot have ‘kul’ before ‘anjali’ or being able to wear coloured clothes, the day always smelled of freedom. I remember, waking up early in the morning and taking a cold bath during that day was no pain for us because we knew that what awaited us after would be our mother’s saree and jewellery. We were bound to reach the school by 7:30 and from there our day started. From ‘anjali’ to serving food to the students, everybody took part in it actively. During those days, the epitome of the festivity was our excitement to see our friends decked in sarees and their mother’s jewellery- a change from the school uniforms we always saw each other in as well as the joy of sitting on the floor and enjoying ‘khichudi and labra’.”
Sanchita Roychowdhury, 54
“I used to study at a convent school and therefore never got to experience Saraswati puja at school and all the fun and frolic that our parents had experienced during their days. However, we usually perform Saraswati puja at home and I am the sole one who played the role of the ‘purahit’ since my school days; hence, my experience of Saraswati puja might differ from others. But what remains the same would be spending time with friends and getting complete respite from studies. Whether ‘parar’ friends or school friends, we usually used to visit each other’s house, pray to the goddess, enjoy ‘prasad’ and then get busy playing video games. During college, while the practice of visiting friends’ houses wasn’t that prevalent anymore, we made sure to meet each other at some cafe and have a good time and it is still a practice that we look forward to when in town.”
Sayondeep Chowdhury, 25
“We used to celebrate Saraswati Puja at home with great fervour. I remember, all the cousins used to gather at one place and the day before Puja, during the evening, we all assembled together to purchase the idol. We did not have any mobile phones during those days and therefore the artisan would hold a candle or hurricane lamp in front of the idol’s face so that we could decide which one to get. In fact, nowadays, you get idols adorned with jewellery and everything prepared, but we used to make goddess’s jewellery with our own hands using flour and gum, making it one of the most cherished memories of Saraswati Puja. Waking up in the morning, helping our mothers prepare for the puja and then ultimately being allowed to enjoy ‘kul’ after ‘anjali’, the day always ended with the cousins sitting together and enjoying ‘bhog’”
Smita Baidya Banerjee, 39