Saraswati Puja

Gust of cold wind hit us as we ventured out on our endeavour. And though we were well shielded, the assault by the cold air had an impact on our enthusiasm.

‘Let’s finish this as fast as we can and return to the warmth of our rooms’ said my companion. I nodded in agreement.

We knocked on one door and then another and then another with purpose. We were getting good response. On one such door, we were asked to wait for a couple of minutes. While the request was not unjust, the cold weather outside was affecting our judgment. We looked around – we had already covered all the rooms on that floor. We even thought of returning later but decided against it. Finally, the door was opened and we were let in. ‘Sorry dost! I was offering my daily prayers and hence could not come. I am sorry to keep you waiting but as you can see none of the other residents of this room are here at present.’ We had suspected this from the beginning and it was a small dampener as we wished to engage as many people as we can in our endeavour. Nevertheless, I started out with the much rehearsed lines, ‘We are organizing Saraswati Puja in campus on behalf of the student community. Would you be willing to contribute for the purpose?’

‘Of course. How much do I need to pay?’

‘The contributions are voluntary. You may help us with any amount you like.’

‘Fine’, he said and handed us a note of Rs. 100.

‘So, how much do you want us to write against your name?’

‘Are!! Keep the entire amount.’ We were receiving Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 on an average as contributions towards the Puja preparation and this was unexpected. In those days (almost 7-8 years back), Rs. 100 used to be a substantial amount for any boarder of a residential engineering college. 

‘We are getting around Rs. 30 on an average towards Puja and if you wish we can return the rest amount to you.’

‘This is for Maa Saraswati na!! Keep it. Do inform me about the schedule though.’

‘We will.’ We were excited. The response to our request was overwhelming and we had made good collections from our batch. There were still two more floors to cover. Nature had put her foot down on the Cold pedal but we braved the harsh winds for the final victory march. 

‘Are we going to this room?’ my companion asked me.

‘What is the problem?’

‘Some of its residents are not of our religion.’

‘So?’ and I knocked the door.

The residents received us very warmly and contributed willingly for the Puja. While my companion’s fears were allayed, it was me who was able to grasp a subtle insight – ‘Probably Saraswati Puja is not a religious event at all’. When we returned to our rooms, we were the custodian of a handsome amount for the Puja. This was way back in early 2003 when I was in my first year of engineering. 

‘Students nominated from West Bengal and those of Bengali origin organize Saraswati Puja every year in this college. We pass on this heritage to every new batch which carries it further.’ These were the words which were told to us by our seniors when we joined the campus. I was excited but was never sure of the scale of the event. We brought the Idol of the Goddess from Calcutta (I still prefer it over Kolkata) while returning from our winter vacation. But the preparation did not start until a week was left for the auspicious day. It was at that time, I realized the scope of the Puja – it was not easy to arrange everything within our limited means for more than 1000 students, faculty and neighbouring residents. It required a lot of planning, effort, bargaining and perseverance. As a first year student, I juggled with attending classes, preparing for the semester examination and working for the event. And unlike what we were made to believe initially, the event was not exclusively handled by those nominated from West Bengal or those having a Bengali origin. Agreed that the organizing committee was entirely constituted of people nominated from West Bengal but it was the participation of students from across the spectrum which made the Puja a successful event every year. I was a part of the organizing committee for four years in different capacities and with each passing year the Saraswati Puja at our campus grew in grandeur, aesthetic sense, scope, participation and more importantly in evoking the spirit of Saraswati Puja.      

Organizing Saraswati Puja for all those years helped me to grow a lot as a person. On a more evident platform, it put to test my organizational abilities, my abilities to persuade and convince people and to settle the differences among various members. However, on a personal note, it helped me bond with people and friends; provided me with many cherished moments which I would like to carry to my pyre; but more importantly helped me in gaining a different perspective of life. I realized that if the cause is correct / just then people will leave aside their differences (no matter how strong those differences are) and work together. I also gathered that trusting others is not a bad thing at all. But, the one thing which I cherish the most is the understanding that one should judge a person only as an individual and not on the basis of his / her origins (caste, creed, community, region etc.).  

I have already stated that perhaps Saraswati Puja is not a religious celebration at all. To me, it is more of a cultural expression. According to Wikipedia, Saraswati is the goddess of Knowledge, Music and Art. She represents Intelligence, Consciousness, Cosmic Knowledge, Creativity, Education, Enlightenment, Music, Arts and Power. All the above are secular fields and do not come with caveats we generally associate with religion (in a way it is construed by the ones whom I like to term fundamentalists). This is the reason, perhaps, that people irrespective of their religious association bow their head before Goddess Saraswati. In this strife-torn world where religion is playing more of a divisive role instead of a unifying one, Goddess Saraswati qualifies as one of the few secular gods. She acts as a unifying force and this is the reason we should seek her blessing. She also represents purity and simplicity – considering the pace at which scams are being unearthed in our country, I think it is extremely important to seek her guidance on this aspect as well. 

P.S: I miss the days at my Engineering College where we used to celebrate the Saraswati Puja with festive fervour. Today, I just prayed in front of her idol. And put my facebook status as ‘Happy Saraswati Puja to All - May Goddess of Knowledge bless us with a more mature outlook towards our life and our world’. Finally, I have to put a code in this post and this is the best place to put it - X286NQX79BZW.