EXPLORING THE LESS EXPLORED: PUJO IN A DISTANT LAND

This pujo, I am getting to see a lot of great photographs of my friends in India, wearing colourful salwars, sarees and dresses , hanging out with their friends and enjoying the different pujos- including the craze of Deshapriyo Park. Here, in Manchester there is no such craze. Everyone on the roads maintain an unspoken discipline, every night people relax after toiling for the day in college or workspace. While Kolkata comes to a standstill during the five days of Pujo, Manchester works just as hard like any other day, save for a small Community Centre in Stockport which invites Indians and non-Indians to be a part of this rich traditional festival.

For the first time in my life, I went to celebrate Pujo in a community hall where my celebration and enjoyment was confined to the parameters of a community hall. Nevertheless, it is indeed commendable and one should be appreciative of the fact that despite everyone's busy careers and schedules they got together and pulled off the Pujo for almost more than a hundred people.

I attended the Pujo / Aarti and the Cultural Programme on the first day of the festival. The aarti took almost thirty minutes and thereafter the programme started . Little children performed in the tune of a traditional song. There was also a duet dance performance followed by a musical programme.

Though the Pujo this year was a different one; the absence of the colour, the noise, the dhaak, the warmth, the ambience haunted me to the core ; and yet the ability of the Members of this Community trying to bring Indians under one roof in a foreign country, year after year during this time is commendable.

Leaving you with some photographs from the programme.