Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Oct 6: Erratic rains, sometimes in torrents and at other times in light to medium drizzles have partially drenched the festive spirit. It rained in spurts on Saturday, Maha Saptami day, catching puja revelers in two minds. But from late night, there were heavy showers at different times in different localities. By midnight, most pandals and streets wore a near vacant look with only a few diehard denizens venturing out in cars and autorickshaws. The two-wheeler dare devils thankfully had been forced to make themselves rare.
Hume Pipe area resident Subroto Paul who had taken out his family in his car said, �Yesterday, after a short spell of showers in the afternoon, I took my family out to view some Puja pandals. It was OK when it drizzled in spurts but when we came across downpours we seemed helpless especially amidst traffic congestions. We could not alight in some pandals to get a good view of the Mother and the decorations nor could we grasp the spirit of Maha Saptami. To sum it up, we did not return home in the spirit we had set out.�
The weather conditions on Maha Ashtami were not much better either. The afternoon thunder showers seemed to give out ominous vibes. The usually congested roads leading towards pandals were comparatively vacant. Off and on drizzles punctuated cautious optimism. Newly married Kadma resident Pintu Rai rued that he could not take out his wife on his motorbike and give her a feel of the city�s �robust� Durgotsav atmosphere. �We could not stay out long last evening because of the traffic mess and intermittent rains. Our new clothes got wet and stained due to the wet grounds in and around puja pandals. The unpredictable weather condition today too may dash our hopes. We may venture out to nearby pandals today, Ma Durga willing.�
But the spirit of diehard revelers cannot be dampened. Whenever the weather cleared, they were out on roads, lanes and bylines to make merry while Lord Indra preferred to take a snooze. If it drizzled or rained, those inside the pandals stationed themselves there while those still on the road or stuck in traffic jams had no other option but to feel sweat and rain water mingling in an uneasy combine.
Septuagenarian Dwipen Dasgupta who was born in Jamshedpur and grew up here has now shifted to Dumdum Park in Kolkata. He is here to spend Durga Puja with his younger sister�s family in New Baradwari. Sitting amidst his old friends and acquaintances in the New Baradwari Puja Pandal, Dwipen Babu recounted, �It has been years since my last visit here. The adda atmosphere in the pandal has not changed much. I remember we used to have gymnastic events performed by girls and boys of New Baradwari Club. A day was dedicated to Bengali and Hindi theatre. Usually on Ashtami and Nawami nights the leading opera teams from Kolkata used to perform Jatras here. Yes, the varieties of stalls have increased. During our time, it was cha, chop and adda. Seeing the new generation now, I feel nostalgic of those bygone times when the entire New Baradwari was one family. Today, it seems more like a formal culture.�
The grounds are wet and soggy. Visitors to pandals tread softly to avoid mud splashes on their new clothes. Some have even left many of their trendy ones at home for fear of getting them smudged. The addas at The Bengal Club puja venue are missing due to the ground conditions. More rains are predicted on Maha Nawami which is on Monday, October 7. But experience says, rain or no rain, it will be difficult to contain the people�s last surge of excitement on the morrow when perfumes, sweat and another kind of scent will pervade the pandal scenarios to usher in the ultimate spirit of parting annual festive times.
