I was born on a Basant Panchami many moons back. Saraswati puja was a regular event at my home, it was a special occasion which always ended with pandal visits with friends, all decked up in a marigold or buttercup yellow sari.
This year too, we worshipped Goddess Saraswati at home. My daughter helped us get things in place before we offered the pujo today morning. The fun children have decorating for pujo is much more than you would expect.
A late-night cleaning up, but an early morning to get the puja started on time meant, we fell asleep in the afternoon after feasting on the prasad. The best part was the day spent together munching on prasad and puja special snacks.
Every year when we were in Delhi, we used to pray together at the Safdarjung Doctors Hostel. But I also did a quick puja in my room. My hubby was the designated purohit at the puja. None of the other friends were yet married, the job of making the payesh and khichuri for maayer bhog was my responsibility. Sounds simple, but not to someone who had only eaten(not cooked), the above two items sincerely for the last several years of her life.
The magic of organizing Saraswati pujo in a hostel
- The shopping for pujo decoration
- The late-night rush to get the idol in place.
- The fruits in big bowls which needed peeling and cutting and my total inability to match the energy and efficiency of the guys who seemed to have boundless energy even after 36 hours duties.
I was lucky to be surrounded by efficient, hardworking men, who loved organizing and working together tirelessly.They did large volumes of work with smiles on their faces while I ordered chai from the canteen and kept meal times on time!
I was happy to be decorative, give my inputs and prepare for the bhog. All the while I was feeling pleased that I could still worship the Goddess far away from home. I was helpful and never got in the way of doing things. How many people do you know like that? This is not my normal self but the pujo self.
What you need for Saraswati puja
- The Goddess idol.
- Get your budget fixed if you are planning a pujo with friends. Because things get out of hand when shopping and tempers will be harried if purse strings are attached.
- Shop for the non-perishable stuff earlier in the month to avoid price surges if you are in Kolkata or any where in West Bengal.
- Shop for the perishable stuff like fruits and flowers the day or evening before.
- Plan your menu for the bhog.
- Get the prayer mantra. It’s easy to source a Saraswati pujo kit from College street but if you don’t want the hassle to remember this prayer
Jaya Jaya Devi
Chara Chara Share
Kucho Jogo Shobhito
Mukta Hare
Beena Pustaka Ranjita
Haste
Bhagwati Bharati
Devi Namastute
The puja needs three very important things
- Your faith
- Your sincerity
- Your ability to pray hard .
Even if you can’t make these arrangements praying on this special day helps makes you wiser,a sponge for knowledge and creativity . That’s what I believe. Faith after all is personal.
The stuff that made Pujo nostalgic in Delhi
We missed the real Kolkata rosogolla. You can’t get it in Delhi. Not in any Bengali market.Not anywhere else until you make it yourself. The tinned variety tastes like styrofoam dipped in sugar syrup. So, sweet, it’s almost bitter. I digress but any self-respecting Bengali is particular about the sweets they offer.
I also missed the Saraswati pujo vibe which is typical of Kolkata. It is just not the same anywhere in the world. You cannot get over the pujo fashion smell and just over the top everything about Kolkata pujo.
But I liked being a real adult. Managing work duties, home duties, and social enterprise even if the kudos were happening in my head, I was happy.
My own pujo on top of the refrigerator was a quick affair. The Goddess Saraswati idol was bought at Sarojini Nagar after several trips and haunting shops. It seemed Delhi at least in Sarojini, rarely anyone asked for a Goddess Saraswati idol.
This has always made me wonder. I am a big fan of Maa Saraswati. All my Goddess Laxmi’s blessing comes holding her hand. If I hadn’t studied as hard as I did back when I was a child, I would probably be living a confused life. I am doing several things I love and more things get added every year.
I love that I am able to help people every day as a Doctor. I love writing every day. Everything has the Goddess of learning blessing my steps. Is it any wonder I can’t stop talking about the secrets to her blessings?
May the Goddess bless your words and your creativity!Do you pray to Goddess Saraswati?Tell me about your Sarswati puja memories.