Durga Pujo in Hyderabad: Dhak, Shankh and Dhunuchi Naach

For Bengalis, Durga puja is not a festival, it’s a religion — a celebration of community and companionship. Dressed in new clothes and shoes, not to forget the blisters, they brave any climate to go for pandal hoping and lots of adda (chit-chat). The customary “Kemon achen?” (How are you?) turns to “Koto Gulo?”(How many?) as they compete with each other on the number of clothes they bought for the occasion.And when you are a probashi (migrant), you start your own Durga puja where ever you are and gathering all the Bongs you know. Hyderabad is no exception. With hundreds of Bengalis residing in Hyderabad, there are quite a number of pujo pandals, some as old as 75 years. Hyderbad Times takes to pandal hoping to check out what’s happening...
The Bhog divine
Beside the mandaps, especially on Ashtami afternoons, if you ever see a long queue of excited people braving the roasting heat, with unwithering patience, don’t be bowled over. They are only waiting for the khichuri bhog which is almost synonymous with Durga puja. In makeshift tents beside the pandals, gamchha-clad cooks stirring huge vessels of khichuri exuberantly, and fishing out luchis from boiling oil, tossing them into massive straw baskets, while young volunteers do the poribeshon (serving) is a standard sight. It’s chaotic, but it’s the essence of Durga puja no Bengali wants to miss. Apart from that, restaurants set up small makeshift stalls around the puja chottor (arena). From shwarma to moglai to luchi aloor dom, you will find everything. “Bongs live to eat and we love to feed others too,” enthuses Sumit Sen, general secretary of Hyderabad Bangalee Samity, adding, “So during annadanam, (distribution of bhog), we serve everyone who comes to ur pandal. That’s a divine feeling.”
Culture and community, no bar
There are many Telugu men and women who have turned boumma (daughter-in-law) and jamai (son-in-law) into Bengali families. And this is the season you get to see them in Bong avatar in a tanter sari or Panjabi, speaking if not fluent, at least broken Bangla. “My wife, Sudha is a Telugu. But she hardly looks like it during these days. She takes part in all revelries and rituals with equal enthusiasm as any Bong would,” says Joy Dutta.
The Cupid visits too
Puja pandal isn’t only about piety to the Goddess. It’s also a time when most people found their souls mates or hope to. Bongs shop for months in advance to look their best during these five days. Don’t be surprised if you see your classmate turning up like a diva to one of these pandals. This is the time when youngsters get a chance to interact with new people, and if luck favours, they go on to become chums and sometimes, sweethearts. Soaking in the festive vibe, even non-Bengalis seek for Durga Maa ki kripa to turn committed from single and thus, come down to pandals seeking a date. “I fell in love with a Bengali girl three years ago. To woo her, I took her out for pandal-hoping. And since it was the first time she was away from home during Durga puja, she was thrilled and visibly impressed. We have been dating ever since,” says Radha Krishna, a yoga instructor from Hyderabad.
Naach, Gaan aar Naatok
With artists like Dona Ganguly, Raja Hasan, Antara Mitra, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Akriti Kakkar lined-up for the cultural nights at the city pandals, the visitors get a complete taste of the Bengal. “If I don’t perform during Durga puja, I feel something is missing. What’s Durga puja without the cultural programmes,” says Dona Ganguly who performed in Hyderabad recently. And what’s Durga puja without the rustic melody of baul geeti? The twang of ektara and the rural beats of khol accompanied by reverberating voice of eminent baul singers, Sahoj maa and Sujan Biswas, who performed in the city in different pandals, reverberated in the puja pandals. “Not only the celebrities. Our local performers who had been gearing up for months for the season, set the stage on fire with their performances,” says Rahul Basu, president of Bengalis in Hyderabad.
Dhak, conch & Dhunuchi naach
The puja venues reverberate with sounds of the dhayng kur kur dhyang kurakur sound of the dhak, the conch and ulu dhoni (a sound women make with tongues), especially during the chanting of mantras. Dhunuchi naach, where performers perform a special dance with earthen lamps in their hands is a sight to behold. “These sounds energise the whole atmosphere. They not only reverberate in the hall but also in our hearts. We bring the dhakis (dhak performers) from Bengal. And sometimes if we are in luck, we also get to see kaash phool (Saccharum), I have seen kaash phool in Jubilee Hills checkpost. The moment you seet it, you feel like, wow, pujo asche (puja is near),” says Shyamali Bose.
The spectacular ‘Sindoor Khela’
On the 10th day, Vijayadashami, the final aarti or boron is offered to the goddess. The ladies, a spectacular sight in red and white, go up to the idols and feed them sweets, before bidding adieu to the Goddess. After applying vermilion on the goddess’s forehead and the married women indulge in sindoor khela — a unique tradition involving the vermilion. The women smear vermilion on each other; and with red vermilion all over the place, the sight will be magnificent. “Sindoor khela is something I would never miss. Even in a crowd of strangers, you won’t find yourself alone. Known or unknown, we greet everyone with equal warmth and enthusiasm,” says Anindita Ganguly.
The goodbye
And on the last day of Dasara or Vijayadashami, thousands take to the streets, dancing to the beats of dhak as they head towards the Hussain Sagar along with the idols of their beloved deity Durga, shouting, “Bolo Durga mai ki...jai” all the way. As the cranes scoop up the idols at the lake, you will get a rare view of the beautiful idols in mid-air. After the immersion, the people disperse — their hearts assured that “Aasche bochor abar hobe.” (It’ll happen again next year).
A milestone: The Hyderabad Bangalee Samity celebrates its platinum jubilee this year. The history goes back to the partition of India when an exodus of Bengali families landed in Hyderabad. Though it all started with “ghat” puja 75 years ago, the Samity took its first step to existence at Domalguda in 1950 and started idol worship in 1951, in a garage. Today it's one of the oldest and largest Durga Puja in Hyderabad.