Durga Puja

Today is Viswakarma Puja.Usually this puja is celebrated 1 month
before Durga Puja but this year Durga Puja has come early such that
Mahalaya which is 1st day of Devipaksha falls tomorrow.On Mahalaya
traditionally over last 50-60years the famous Birendra Krishna Bhadra
started reciting Chandi Paath in his superb baritone voice over All
India Radio at 4am in the morning. I remember being woken up at 4am to
listen to the paath welcoming Ma Durga to the mortal world of her
parents.This practice has been continued over the years and though
Birendra Krishna Bhadra has passed away long back,to an average
Bengali, Mahalaya is synonomous with Birendra K Bhadra, so a recorded
version played every year as perpetuation of this practice.At
sunrise,an average Bemgali Hindu pays homage to his forebears by
performing puja and offering water to the parched souls of the
departed at the banks of Ganga or any nearby waterbody if no river is
present.The idol is installed at every mandap on the sixth day after Mahalaya Amabasya-Sasthi, wherever Puja is
celebrated bringing joy in the hearts of all true blue Bengali.