Time for UNESCO to give Bappa a dekko

The Keshavji Naik Chawl Ganesh idol in Girgaum. Pic/Fiona Fernandez

Having spent a sizeable amount of time in Kolkata in my early working years, I was lucky to have experienced the fervour and heady festivities during Durga Puja on more than one occasion. It wowed me, to put it mildly. Wherever I'd go - from RashBehari Avenue's bazaars to Kaalighat's temples and Behala's decrepit baaris - the air would be filled with incense, faint sounds emanating from the blowing of conch shells and an all-pervasive excitement that would up the tempo and pace in the otherwise comparatively slower-paced metropolis. At some of the evening pujas that I was able to attend after much navigation, courtesy my local friends, the vibe of those divine moments was simply electric. The pandal [pronounced ‘pan-del'] - hopping would be like trips to some sort of desi Disneyland, with all kinds of uber-cool themes, timely, inspired or outrageously extravagant. The artisans at work, who would bring gigantic mini-cities to life, had to be commended for their craftsmanship. Over time, I came to understand and realise how and why Durga Puja is such an integral part of the city's essence. And now, with UNESCO's recognition of this festival on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage [ICH] of Humanity, the underlining of this annual phenomenon makes it sweeter, even for an out-of-towner like me.

Ever since I can recall, the Ganesh festival has been part of our way of life. Growing up in a largely Maharashtrian locality helped me understand why the festival is as, if not more important, than Diwali in most households. It is a state of mind for most residents of this city. The build-up, the prep in each home and then, once the actual ten-day festival begins, the city springs into another mode altogether. Visiting mandals at a time when it wasn't a behind-the-curtains affair would be the most exciting routine to look forward to with friends. When heritage and history began to take precedence in my life, and by default, work, I learnt a lot more about the deep-set relevance of Ganeshotsav in the city during colonial rule.

One of my key learnings was about how the festival became a community celebration. National leader and reformist Lokmanya Tilak ignited a nationalistic zeal, bringing the festival to a larger platform from the confines of people's homes, and used it as a space to enlighten and empower the common man about the prevalent scenario in the country as our freedom movement grew in the late nineteenth century. Tilak had reached out to some of his friends who lived in Keshavji Naik Chawl in Girgaum, and it was here where the roots of this important historic chapter were sown. Soon enough, it became a buzzing hub for political discourse, debates and lectures where some of the city's [and also national level] scholars, visionaries and leaders would speak. It had caught the imagination of people in the neighbourhood and beyond. Others began to create a similar template, and thus the large-scale mandal took shape and form across the city and its suburbs. It's a legacy to be immensely proud of. To this day, if you head to this locality to seek the blessings of Ganesha, it represents an island of calm; a rewind reel into how the festival was celebrated in Tilak's times. No Bollywood music blaring out from loudspeakers, no celebrity darshan or selfie-frenzied devotees. The chawl's residents are mostly seventh or eighth generation families of its original dwellers. You're bound to hear gleeful shouts from children playing in common balconies that line the mandap blend with the chants of the pujari performing the daily aarti. Be it welcoming worshippers, or offering prasad, the warmth is similar to when you visit a friend's home during Ganpati.

The recent honour bestowed by UNESCO on Kolkata's Durga Puja made me wish that our state takes a leaf out of this recognition and pitches for the same in the coming years. Already, the West Bengal government has announced a three-day event to celebrate the artisans associated with the festival, as part of a jam-packed itinerary in the build up to greeting Maa Durga this year.

The recognition for Ganeshotsav will not only ensure that the intent of Tilak's vision on the community aspect of the festival is kept alive, but it will also give a much-needed fillip to the traditional mandals of similar legacy that need a leg-up, and who usually get lost amidst the din of the glitzier, popular ones. The possibilities are immense, if we can retrace its historicity, especially for the benefit of today's generation; the long-term gains will mean watermarking the festivities and its importance as a permanent honour for Bappa on the world's most prestigious cultural stage. It will be the ultimate tribute to the city's favourite festival.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana

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