Culture
We should strengthen the Archaeological Survey of India and lessen its burden of guarding thousands of sites. Only then can it be an effective custodian of the Places of Worship Act.
The Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) stand at the Qutub Minar that it cannot permit Hindus to pray there may have reinforced people’s faith in plural tolerance. But such a stand has been its traditional policy.
In 2010, there were concerted attempts by a section of Muslims to start namaz at the Qutub Minar and at other prominent Islamic monuments of India. But the ASI simply refused to budge and the culture ministry’s stand was supported by the Union cabinet. The government decided to confront the demand as a law-and-order problem. The section of fanatics gave up their tantrums in the face of such determination.
The ASI’s argument is simple — there are too many contested ‘non-worshipped’ monuments that Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists are raring to claim for their prayers and for de facto possession.
>These sites do not belong to any community and are the common property of India and Indians — hence no fresh worship should be allowed so that the delicate equilibrium is maintained. Such a stand could perhaps be studied by the judiciary.
As a festival and a ritual, Charak definitely goes back to pre-Hindu roots that were later absorbed into Hinduism. Its rituals of self flagellation, inflicted-torture and endurance through pain can be seen in different parts of India even now, especially, in the South. In Tamil country, for instance, the same rites of self-torture go under the name of Thaai-Poosam. Where the Rarh part of Western Bengal region is concerned, Charak has been celebrated as an essential part of worship of Dharma Thakur, the primordial god of the indigenous people, throughout the month of Baishakh, that is in April-May.
কলকাতা মহানগরীর সঠিক এবং প্রাণবন্ত কেন্দ্রবিন্দু বলতে আমরা সাধারণত ধর্মতলা ও চৌরঙ্গীর সংযোগস্থলকেই মনে করি। দীর্ঘ উত্তর -দক্ষিণ সড়ক কে অনেক নামে চিনি — চিৎপুর, বেন্টিঙ্ক, চৌরঙ্গী বা জওহর লাল নেহেরু রোড, আশুতোষ মুখার্জি ও শ্যামাপ্রসাদের নামের রাস্তা, তারপর দেশপ্রাণ শাসমল রোড। আবার পশ্চিমে গঙ্গার দিক থেকে পূর্বে যাওয়া রাজপথকে আমরা বরাবরই ধর্মতলা বলেই ডেকেছি, যদিও পুরপিতারা অনেক দিন আগেই এর নাম বদলেছেন লেনিনের সম্মানে। দৈনন্দিন ব্যস্ততার মাঝে আমরা কিন্তু একবারও প্রশ্ন করিনা আড়াইশ বছর পুরানো এই দুই প্রধান সড়ক কাদের ইতিহাস বহন করে চলেছে। ধর্মতলা কোন ধর্মের নামে? আর ওই চৌরঙ্গীর মানে কি?
দ্বন্দ্বহীন হয়ে বলতে পারি, রাধাপ্রসাদ গুপ্ত বা 'শাটুলদা'-ই আমার এক ও অদ্ধিতীয় 'গুরু'। স্বীকার করতে সামান্য দ্বিধাও নেই যে, শাটুলদার সঙ্গে দেখা না হলে আমার মনোজগৎ ও বহির্বিশ্ব-চেতনা এতখানি সমৃদ্ধ হয়ে উঠত না। যে বিপুল খ্যাতি এবং মহাস্তরীক ব্যুৎপত্তি তিনি অর্জন করেছিলেন তা সীমাবদ্ধ থাকেনি কোনও একটি বা দু'টি বিষয়ে। অবলীলাক্রমেজ্ঞানচর্চার বহু শাখায় তিনি বিচরণ করেছিলেন।“বহুমুখী প্রতিভাধর" বলতে যা বোঝায়, আমার চোখে রাধাপ্রসাদ গুপ্ত ঠিক তা-ই। পাশাপাশি তিনি একজন অনবদ্য কথক।
পশ্চিমবঙ্গের ২০২১ সালের নির্বাচনের ঐতিহাসিক ফলাফল দেখে আমাদের অনেকের বিশ্বাস হল যে, বাঙালির এখনও লড়ার ক্ষমতা আছে। রাজ্যের নির্বাচকরা ভারতের ইতিহাসের সবচেয়ে আক্রমণাত্মক প্রধানমন্ত্রীকে বুঝিয়ে দিলেন, তাঁদের কাছে ওঁর ‘ডবল ইঞ্জিন’ উন্নয়নের টোপের থেকে আত্মসম্মান ও বহুত্বের মূল্য অনেক বেশি। এ রাজ্যে ভোটের আগে প্রধানমন্ত্রীর কুড়িটি সফর ও কাঁড়ি কাঁড়ি জনসভার পরেও তাঁর ম্যাজিকে কাজ হল না কেন, তা উপলব্ধি না করেই তাঁর দল বাঙালিদের তথাকথিত উগ্র আঞ্চলিকতাকে দোষ দিল।
There are several tales about Kali’s origin, the best known of which comes from the Devi Mahatmya. It says that when Durga was so enraged by demons that her anger burst from her forehead in the form of Kali. Once born, the dark goddess went on the rampage, killing demons and stringing their heads on a chain around her neck. Her dance of death and destruction was stopped only when Shiva lay on her path and she stepped on her husband’s chest by accident. She was terribly embarrassed and finally calmed down. Kali is thus associated with war, death and cremation.
বছর কয়েক ধরে দেখা যাচ্ছে যে দীপাবলী বা দিওয়ালির দু দিন আগে উত্তর ও পশ্চিম ভারতীয় রীতি অনুযায়ী ধনতেরাস পরব টি এখন এক শ্রেণীর বাঙালির কাছে যথেষ্ট জনপ্রিয় হয়ে উঠেছে। ওদের পাঁচ দিনের লক্ষী ও কৃষ্ণকেন্দ্রিক অতি উজ্জ্বল দিওয়ালি আর আমাদের এক ঘোর অমাবস্যা রাত্রের কালীপূজার মধ্যে এমনিতেই প্রচুর পার্থক্য আছে। উত্তর ও পশ্চিম ভারতে দিওয়ালি শুরু হয় ধনতেরাস দিয়ে।
Hinduism accommodates a lot of conflicting rituals. For instance, while Dusshera is celebrated as the defeat of evil force such as Ravan or as Asura, the two are, in fact, worshipped on this day at several places.
It’s a little difficult to say precisely — because Durga in her present form incorporates different streams, like Simha Vahini (the goddess who rides the lion), the Mahishasura Mardini (one who slays the Buffalo-Demon) and the Dashabhuja or ten-armed goddess. They evolved in different stages and ages.
Now that Pujas are almost here, and Corona notwithstanding, millions of Bengalis will hop from pandal to pandal — a few questions may be interesting.
I am in Delhi where Navaratri has just begun and people are either fasting or undergoing severe restrictions on food and indulgences for the next nine days. Most are surprised that Bengal does not go through such severities and are amazed to hear of our feasting on the chief days, from Maha-Saptami to Maha-Navami.
Till a couple of decades ago, Westerners were surprised that Indians hardly understood their passion for their ‘Thank God it’s Friday’ syndrome and their trooping out of workplaces sharp at 5 pm for the weekend. Neither wild horses nor unfinished work could stop them. In the recent decades, however, Indians have also picked up this weekend craziness. But advanced countries continue to take a dim view of the liberties that Indians take with punctuality.
One is still not certain whether Covid-19 is largely airborne, but we are more than sure that it is and was airport-borne. It was definitely imported by aircraft passengers, usually better educated or economically advantaged, mainly from advanced Western countries. They went on generously transmitting it in all cities as most of our tracking systems are primitive.
It is quite uncanny that the birth centenary of Satyajit Ray, 2 May, 2021, also happens to be the very day on which the results of the bitterest and longest drawn elections in Bengal’s history are being revealed. When one comes to think of it, this coincidence is as poetic as the legendary filmmaker's cinema, because Bengal's politics has always been inextricably linked to its cinema.
Few bureaucrats are endowed with a great sense of humour, or else they would not be bureaucrats in the first place. And, a profession that claims to be the world’s second oldest surely lacks the excitement of the first. There are, however, certain similarities and Avay Shukla’s PolyTicks, DeMockrazy & Mumbo Jumbo lifts the hemline to reveal saucy bits, but leaves it to the reader to fantasise. We benefit from his insider’s ring-side views about “babus, mantris and netas (un) making our nation”. His wit has surely not deserted him even after cohabiting for thirty five long years with dull, dusty and musty files. Behind his satire and flippant delivery, however, he displays his utter seriousness with facts and figures, as is expected from a senior administrator.
Whenever someone is pulled up for jumping the queue at, say, passport counters in international airports, we are embarrassed—as it is almost always an Indian or an equally insensitive person from our immediate neighbours. As soon as a plane lands or a train stops, everyone jumps up and seems to be in a tearing hurry, jostling with co-passengers, to get out. It may sound too sweeping to brand an entire people as too restlessly self-centred, but we all know that it is quite true.
ভারতের অন্য লোকেরা বলে বাঙালি ভোট নিয়ে বেশি বাড়াবাড়ি করে আর রাজনীতিতে এতই ব্যস্ত থাকে যে, অর্থনীতির জন্যে কোনও সময়ই নেই। এ কথাটি অনস্বীকার্য যে, রাজনীতি আমাদের মধ্যে অনেকখানি মজ্জাগত। এবং তার সঙ্গে সঙ্গেই মনে রাখতে হবে যে, স্বাধীনতা সংগ্রামে বাঙালির দেশপ্রেম, উৎসাহ, সাহস ও বলিদান সত্যিই অতুলনীয়।
I must compliment the author and the publisher for coming up with this very interesting publication that would interest readers to learn more about the soul of these two neighbouring countries that were linked by geography, geology, history and God. Both nations that are so physically close to each other, however, tend to take each other for granted, and do not stretch themselves to understand the subtle nuances of each other’s cultural expressions.
India has always been proud of its culture, some elements of which can be traced back to five millennia. Such cultural continuity is indeed, quite rare to find. Besides, culture has played a unique role in getting together and coalescing widely different ethnic and linguistic groups—including those influenced by foreign cultures—across the vast subcontinent into one identifiable civilisation.
We will not dwell upon the recent comment made by the new chief minister of Uttarakhand on women wearing ripped jeans. He obviously spoke for certain sections that are yet to come to terms with the newer dress preferences of Indian women. We will not even discuss individual tastes and freedoms here, because history is really not bothered about our opinions.
Civilisational studies are quite complex as each one is quite unique or else it would not qualify for the term. Basically, cultures represent natural responses of a people to the requirements of their ecosystem, both organic and inorganic. In India, for instance, we really do not wish “good morning” and “good evening”, except to a Westernised clientele or (in recent times) to colleagues.