Henry Island Part4

Coming back from Bakkhali, we decided to explore the private beach at Henry island itself. The motorable road ended after a 5 minute drive, after which we had to make it by foot for 10 minutes.That involved crossing a rickety bamboo bridge jointly with a series of cows who patiently gave us the right of way.

On both sides were mangrove trees. Almost 40 varieties of these trees are grown here, one of the largest in Asia in terms of the different types under cultivation.

The area was obviously marshy, and we had to walk through the narrow muddy road, looking right and left at the glorious red mangrove swamp.

We then walked through a pathway amongst the casuarina trees--and the beach was right in front us!!!!!Desolate, with only a few cows grazing  far away towards our right, a lone fisherman trudging along with his net, and a solitary boat in the distance.

Amongst the trees, a good 20 feet above us swung a shark like fish--a grim reminder as to how much the sea had swept in a few days back.

The only sounds were of the wind passing through the trees, the occasional mooing of a cow, and Pluto's panting.

We started speaking in whispers at first!!!! Somehow it seemed unethical to break the silence. The sun set behind the treeline, transforming the sky into a collage of a million colours.

The twilight etched the leaves sharply for a few moments, before it enveloped us.

The clouds bereft of the sun loomed large over the trees.

The stretched out fishing net subsided onto the beach, its white globes disappearing with the fading light.

 

The lonely, dying mangrove branches stuck out for awhile as did a slate rock.

The water ripples started to disappear into the background of the sea. The fisherman cast his net for the last time.

We wended our way back after a mini spat between Pluto and the cows. The cows won because they stopped in the middle of the bridge, and we thought it prudent this time to  give them the right of way.

Nearer home the blue-black sky stared at us from the waterbodies, interrupted only by the splashes of a few intrepid fishes wanting to catch a view of the last light of the day.

 

Even Pluto became strangely silent.

That is the effect Henry Island has on you....

Metro Heights Durga Puja 2008--the last day

All too suddenly, the day of departure had arrived. The hectic preparations, the meetings, the discussions,the altercations,the consensus, the compromise and the anticipation had all led to this. Durga Maa and her children would depart, leaving behind an emptiness that is hard to describe. At this age,  the departure reminds and leaves us closer to our final reckoning.The ladies gather for the elaborate sindur khela with the deities. Then the traditional rituals as seen in the pictures and videos.

 

Impromptu jigs break out  to the incessant dhaki beats.Anybody and everybody joins in.

 

At the end of the day, I saw the empty pandal standing desolate, without a soul in sight. Only the Mangal Ghot remained. Perhaps that is the real meaning of these Pujas, the meaningful residue that remains long after the Dhakis have gone home. Goodness wins over evil. That is what we want and like to believe.

At least, for another year.........

Metro Heights Durga Puja 2008

After a film show on Sasthi (Bachna yeh Haseena and Jaane tu yeh jaane na), it was time for the cultural programme on Saptami. Starting off with a bhajan, followed by an amazing stotra recital, the programme starred the Metro Heights (almost all-ladies!!) choir. Effortlessly combining songs from different parts of India, often with the English or Hindi versions, and embellished by the dances by various age groups--the evening fascinated all of us by the variety of the performances.The dances ranged from the modern to the traditional, and one can only marvel at the hard work put in to get it all together.Let the pictures tell the story of the performers, colours and movements.

The Metro Heights song set to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne" was an immediate hit and I will post a MP3 version shortly for all of you to hear.

On Astami Day, there was the traditional Anjali, followed by a community breakfast and lunch. In the evening, there was an enjoyable Game show with prizes of daily household articles.The Sandhi Puja was held late at night and pandal hoppers got going after that.

Nabami saw the traditional Kumari Puja, followed bya community Lunch, which though a little late ,was enjoyed by all. At night there  were Kirtans followed by a brilliant Dandia dance, in which the hypnotic beat had persons of all ages on their feet till late at night.

The Dashami day action will be on the next post.

Durga Puja 2008 Metro Heights

Durga Puja is on!!! Kolkata looks transformed by the lights and music. People seem to be more accessible, more accommodating, more communicable.The central point ,of course are the images of the goddesses.It is a miracle how in a decrepit corner of Kolkata, beset by poor light, dust,grime and overcrowding--such images are conceived, made, decorated and delivered. These images, then inspire in all of us, the feelings of awe, respect, devotion and resolve.

At our Metro Heights, the image is by the famous Mohanbasi Rudrapal . The making of the image is documented by these pictures(mostly taken by Vicky and who had to leave before the festivities). There is a story here--not the breaking stories of the TV channels, but a quieter, less strident version which somehow seems to be more enduring than many others....

Tomorrow is bisarjan when the goddesses will leave....

Somehow in our lives, we have started saying goodbyes more often....