North Kolkata Durga Puja: Century-old celebration pays tribute to writer Leela Majumdar

KOLKATA: As autumn arrives, the Kashi Bose Lane community prepares for the festival of Durga Puja, a celebration marked by joy, excitement, and large crowds. This year, the Durga Puja in Kashi Bose Lane celebrates the legacy of Leela Majumdar.

Her simple world and story characters make an appearance in the pandal, embodying the theme "The Winding Path."The festival offers a variety of attractions, including fried snacks, jalebis, Ferris wheels, colourful balloons, toy guns, whistles, ice cream, and magic, ensuring endless fun for attendees. Puppet shows are scheduled in the fairgrounds, captivating audiences with puppets that speak, walk, and act, drawing attention away from studies.

Many are engrossed in their new festival clothes, while some hold vibrant festival annuals filled with wonderful pictures and stories.A symbolic train journey marks the festivities, with the goddess Durga heading to her parents' home accompanied by little Ganesha. Lakshmi, Saraswati, the demon, and Singhi Mama carry the luggage. Mischievous Kartik, uninterested in the festival annual, reaches out the window to catch sunlight in his small fist, ignoring his sisters' scolding as he eagerly waits.

As the train departs, Mother Durga opens her large Burmese box, handing out fennel seeds, sweet spices, puffed rice, and candy sticks to everyone.

Little Ganesha delights in his candy stick, laughing joyfully, embodying the scene of pure happiness as the joyful mother arrives.

Amidst the world's chaos, quarrels, anger, and sorrow, the festival creates a dream world of joy, laughter, and play. In the realm of the joyful, playful mother, another narrative unfolds inspired by Leela Majumdar.

Walking along the winding paths of life, the community discovers a simple truth surrounded by evergreen carpets of happiness. Children of Lakhna village joyfully follow, knowing that in Leela's stories, the big balloon will eventually reach the house of the wind.The festival envisions a future without hunger, suffering, or quarrels. It promotes a vision where no one scolds or glares at another, and where demands for math exercises or reciting multiplication tables are replaced with laughter, play, and songs. Everyone dances, sings, and shares food together.