HALLOWEEN @ WARWICK CASTLE

Halloween could never have been better for me, than celebrating it in one of the oldest castles of the UK. My celebrations took me on an unforgettable journey to the Warwick Castle. The Castle is situated at a distance of around 2.5 hours by road from Manchester. All throughout the early morning journey to the Castle I saw people around me take a nice nap as sleep was compromised on as they had to wake -up early in order to reach the pick-up point. Let me very honest, I too occasionally drifted off to sleep when I was not trying to get some good photographs evading the high reflection from the bus windows or when I was not listening to music and chatting with a friend from home.

 We reached Warwick after crossing Stratford, Keele and Birmingham at about 10:45 in the morning. With the cold wind brushing against our bodies, the moment we got out of the bus, all acts of sleepiness left us in an instant. We proceeded to get the tickets. The ticket counter is situated in a beautiful arena hosting a restaurant/café with indoor /outdoor seating and a gift shop in the same complex.

The Castle grounds are vastly spread and had various different activities taking place in it. The Hollow Haunted was a very interesting concept of walking though a trail with props and people dressed up as fairy-tale characters. While the Wolf of the Little Red Riding Hood seemed a bit too scary, the evil Step-Mother of Snow White obliged in being a part of the photographs people wanted with her. Going through the trail would once again transport you back to your childhood where you listened to fairy tales which are lost today in your busy world of academics and work.

Up next was a beautiful rose garden with seating arrangements. This place had nothing much to see except the myriad hues in the form of full bloomed roses.

Going further you would see archery and fencing grounds where mostly children come to play and learn the tactics of a medieval knight or an archer. These are paid trainings and one would have to pay a small amount (usually between £3 -£5) which is not included in the ticket.

 Moving forward from the fighting arena is when you actually enter the fortress. There is a beautiful light and sound display of the culture, occupation, military, art and craft of the medieval age which sheds light on the life and times of people who had resided in the grounds years ago.

Next is the Time Tower for which one has to climb some steep steps to enter a room which takes around 15 to 25 people at a time for a 15 minutes movie. This video makes you relive the castle grounds in its glorious days.

Right after the Time Tower, you can climb steeper steps and alleyways to reach the peak of the castle from where you get a bird’s eye- view of the entire castle grounds and off course of the Warwick County itself. The tower of the county church clearly stands out amidst rows of houses.

 Further in the lawn there were many different attractions like the bird show where a 4kg eagle named Archie was performing with his trainer. At some distance were the Halloween attractions, complete with a cauldron, a graveyard, a spell- maker, and some freaky friends. There was also a story –telling corner for the children.

People here came from all over the country to celebrate Halloween. They were dressed up as witches, wizards, banshees with all sorts of costumes and hair and face make-up. In fact, there were specialised make- up artists who were painting faces for a minimum fee.

The ghoulish music which played all over the fort through speakers could be heard right till the parking lot gate where a man holding a lantern was accompanied by a headless chap on a horse.

 The atmosphere created by the Warwick Castle clearly complemented the purpose of doing so. The people were warm and friendly and even when they were dressed up as Halloween spookers they never forgot to smile during each of the photographs taken with them.

Warwick Castle is a must visit for those who are planning a holiday in the UK or are planning a weekend trip while residing here. It is bound to mesmerize you. And yes, do not forget to pick up a souvenir for yourself!

HALLOWEEN'S ROUND THE CORNER

A HALLOWEEN-ISH STARE GIVEN TO ME BY MY NEIGHBOUR'S CAT

Halloween for me, all these years, was just a festival celebrated in the Western world with kids haunting the neighbourhood for Trick or Treats in various ghostly costumes. However, this year I get to explore the culture of Halloween more closely than ever. The festival proper, is scheduled on the 31st of October but I remember seeing the preparations begin even before I landed in Manchester. By mid-October every pamphlet distributed to the people, every newspaper and its supplement, every general store books and brochures have the topic of Halloween broadly discussed in it. From what to wear to how -to- do safe body make-ups; from what food to prepare to what decorations to make ; from what tricks and treats are popular this season to which store houses what during this festival -all are covered at length. I remember picking up a certain magazine issue from the TESCO's which exclusively dealt with only Halloween.

Halloween is of Christian origin which marks a three day remembrance of the dead. Thus, witches, wizards, ghosts, graveyards, pumpkins, spiders, bats and zombies are natural symbols of this festival. Most markets have specially manufactured costumes for costume parties.Safe make- up crayons are also found to draw on the face and body. Every shopping mall especially market street, Manchester ARNDALE and intu TRAFFORD CENTRE has kept a variety of masks, make -ups, accessories, chocolates etc. for the festival. 

A SHOP IN INTU TRAFFORD CENTRE 

People have started cleaning their house for parties and celebration. Menus have been decided and shopping is in full scale. Kids are accompanying their parents everyday to get one of their favourite ghostly fancy dresses. This week is full of Halloween programmes in pubs and markets, Horror movie screenings, treasure hunts, special buffets, drinks, games and lots more. Children and especially young college and university goers are most enthusiastic about the 31st. They have already started preparing plans with friends and family as to which party to go to and which pub to hang out in. 

PUMPKIN SURPRISE 

GINGERBREAD ZOMBIES

SEVERED FINGERS

FRANKENSTEIN'S PUNCH

My university campus too has organised ATMOSFEAR a Halloween party on the night of 31st. With fancy dresses, ghostly atmosphere, movies, trick or treats, amazing food this is a party that one cannot miss. 

Wondering how I would celebrate my first Halloween ? By making a trip to the legendary destinations of Oxford and Warwick Castle. More on these two places in my subsequent posts. 

Happy Halloween Everybody!!

KIDS MAKE-UP

Note: Most photographs in this post have been photographed from the TESCO October 2015 brochure 

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.

BANNER OF THE JAIN COMMUNITY HOSTING THE DURGA PUJA

MAA DURGA 

GETTING READY TO START THE PUJO 

A CLOSE -UP 

KOLA BOU BODHON

GIRLS DANCING TO A BANGLA FESTIVE TUNE

A MUSICAL PRESENTATION BY THE CHILDREN

A RABINDRA SANGEET IN PROGRESS

FROM THE AUDIENCE'S VIEW

CLICKING THE GODDESS

REFLECTIONS OF A FESTIVE MIND

While everybody is busy immersing themselves in the slokas of Birendra Krishna Bhadra, I happen to be planning about editing my assignments and submitting them on time. For the last 15 years Pujo has been an essential part of my life. Every year, whether it be in school or in college Pujo for me used to start a month earlier than it was actually scheduled to take place. Right from going to Pujo shopping with my mother and excitedly discussing what my friends and I bought and from where to which place had great outfits in reasonable price or which brand was giving heavy discounts, none of these talks ever evaded us in Kolkata. 

All three years of my college life, there was a specific date reserved for lunch with my school friends. Ashtami was always earmarked for the yearly get together of a crazy trio (including me). 
In fact as the days of the Pujo came nearer, news always reached me which pandal was being made of what and we started planning with our friends to visit those pandals. One day was of course reserved for pandal hopping with my family.

Instant plans were also made when we were out of plans.I still remember a friend (as adventurous as me) calling me up in the morning saying that there is still one day of the pujo left and we had no plans. So it was decided we cant let this happen and met in an hour to enjoy the one day left before bhashaan.

Residing in an area which is the hotspot of Durga Puja in South Calcutta it is impossible to not miss it. In Bengali people say 'Ashche Bochor Abar Hobe' to reiterate that there would be double the fun next year. But I would say 'Ashche Bochor Hotei Hobe' to console myself by saying that next year I will have to make it for the Pujas. 

Here in Manchester there are a few places that host Pujas. But I would call it a silent festival as there are no Dhaakis to announce the onset of the Festival; there are no children playing the drums constantly near your ears; babies in the laps of their parents do not take to the blowing whistles , the noise of which starts blowing your mind after a certain while; there are no colourful balloons in the air and neither are there bubbles reflecting the colourful environment.Hardly do even a hundred people gather around for the celebrations.

But nevertheless, probably it would turn out that staying away from home and the festival for a year will make me enjoy it in a grand scale next year. So, I leave you guys with best wishes for this Pujo and a very advance Subho Bijoya . Hope you guys enjoy this year and some of you are kind enough to send some photographs (Wink). The photographs used in this post are from my archives of previous year's Pujo. 

The Decadence of Tradition

The City Of Joy has many hidden treasures which are rarely explored in the fever of modernism which has broken over the entire world. These traditional art forms are  famous only in rural Bengal. In fact this is the only method of survival and occupation , these families have been involved in for generations and thus till today their daily bread is earned through such art forms.Though many are found all over Bengal, I would be highlighting only five such decaying folk forms.

5# Chau Dance is a popular folk dance in Orissa , Jharkhand and West Bengal . Mostly seen in Purulia it is performed by the tribal communities of Munda, Bhol, Sahoo to name a few. This folk art has three different components - music provided by the Mukhis, Kalindis etc; masks made by ace artisans of the Sutradhar,Maharanas or the Mohapatra clan and the dancers. Chau dance itself has variations depending on its origin- Purulia chau, Mayurbhanj chau and Seraikella Chau. Interestingly Mayurbhanj chau is the only folk form which does not make use of any masks. The dance itself is a blend of martial arts and traditional dance steps.In 2010 Chau dance was honoured by UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible cultural Heritage of Humanity. Special measures have been taken by the Government of Orissa to look into the preservation of this art form. But sadly in Bengal, it is a dying art.

CHAU MASK

CHAU DANCERS

4#  Bhawaiya is a traditional music form popular in Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Darjeeling and North Bangladesh. These places came under the state of Kamtapur in older days . Hence, the Kamptapuri language is also used while singing the songs. The biggest performers of this art were those associated with the Rajbari of Kamtapur. However , today, these songs have spread to all communities living in the area. In fact many Bhawaiya songs have been adapted in Bengali cinema. The music in this folk form reflects a typical tone of natural, environmental, ethnic phonetic and topographical influence.

3#  Alkap is one of the primitive ways of mass communication. It was originally used to raise awareness regarding social issues and taboos. But today the original form of Alkap which included men dressing up as women, musicians singing songs and sexual connotations , is becoming extinct. It is replaced by Bengali film songs and women taking part in this form of performing art. The participants are divided to put forward arguments in support and against the social cause to communicate it to the people. However due to lack of interest and finance this art is rarely seen today.

ALKAP IN PROGRESS

2#  Gombhira which originated in the Nawabganj region is a another folk form of increasing social awareness through music and songs. It is distinct as it is performed by two males playing the role of a son and his maternal grandfather . Sometimes this art is also accompanied by masked dancers who enact the verses in the song.

MASKED DANCERS

GETTING READY FOR A PERFORMANCE

1#  Bhatiali are traditional boat songs which fishermen and boatmen sing while they are on their journey in the river. Bhatiali mostly deals with descriptions of Nature from those who are living in close harmony with nature. Influence of this form of music is found on the ghats of Brahmaputra in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

PAINTING OF BHATIALI SINGERS

These forms of art are becoming rare and extinct in contemporary times . Probably the instruments and technologies of modernism is to be blamed for this. With people remaining glued to television and cell phones, they neither have the time nor the interest to spare a thought about traditional art. There are a few heritage fairs in the city where performers from all parts of the State come in to showcase their talents; however, they have less audience and also the number of traditional groups that come in are decreasing year after year.The good news is many theatre groups, NGOs and private organisations are trying to revive these traditional art forms. It is a venture which I personally support and encourage everyone to support for tradition is a guide for a better future.