Mail News Service
Jamshedpur: The state government must be lauded, if not for anything else, at least for cutting the mighty Mahishasur to size, a feat even the all powerful Devi Durga would have loved to do before piercing the demon�s heart. Yes, against the Mother�s permissible height of four to five feet, Mahishasur certainly was dwarfed standing, kneeling or crouching at two feet or thereabouts. The size and the pandals sans the fairs and the multihued attires seemed too dull to raise the spirit of the mortal children at the onset of Durgotsav on Mahasaptami day.
Old time Brojen Kaka of New Baradwari was eyeing vacantly at the vacant and almost make believe Durga Puja pandal of the locality which, on a closer look, housed a Ghaut or clay pitcher which is symbolic of the commencement of ritualistic proceedings. Seeing me, he pointed towards the pandal and remarked, �Never in my life have I encountered such a Puja. No frolicking children, no Dhak beats, no eateries, no people, no mantras�� He stopped to take a deep breath, sighed out his exasperation and moved on, not stopping to think that it was he who had stopped this correspondent who was despondent any way with the Saptami spirit gone haywire.
The roads seemed as usual, traffic moving along at its own pace except for the inevitable bottlenecks and the cows and bulls for whom Durga Puja or normal times hardly matter as long as they continue to sit on the road and leave the rest to a resigned lot of wayfarers.
The Sakchi Market too was its usual self by 11 am with crowds building up and preparing to catch the corona bug. The puja pandals may be empty, the spirit of the festival may be missing but the crowded market places still create pandemics of fear and pessimism in rational minds. �Authorized authorities� are continuing to shriek out warnings of following all COVID protocols and checking the rampaging virus. True, the infection rate is on the decline but that does not mean that people should let down their guards. The Health Minister had recently warned that the seemingly subdued COVID could have another run in the next few months of winter and citizens have been asked to remain alert. But markets and other public places seem to be ovens of wasted warning breaths.
Scooting around town, there was no sign of any festive fever with people going about their ways as usual. Prices of potatoes and onions continued to sizzle, vegetables remained untouchable for the most part while fruits were comparatively cheaper perhaps with devotion and devotees stuck with ideologies of COVID prescribed protocols.
An optimist by nature, Asutosh Laha of Kitadih said, �Perhaps, the evening will be better with people coming out to count the pandals. Or, may be the boy and the girl on those back-raised motorcycle will be seen zooming past habitually shocked road users. Street side vendors might see more business. As for me, the festive spirit remains. I am carrying home prawns and chicken meat. We will celebrate at home; so what, at least Mother has arrived and that is what matters.�
One wishes such spirit was catching, contagious. But thinking beyond corona contagion is impossible in spite of the market scenario. After sunset, during usual Puja times, the streets and bylines would have been full of shouts, whistles, vehicle honks, toy trumpet sounds and excited shouts but on Friday, Mahasaptami 2020, the ambience is that of a mankind that has blown out the lamp of joy.
