Festivals are also very unique things. Pleasure of life cannot be
imagined without them. There is something in them which helps to forget the biggest
miseries and harshest hostilities. Probably happiness and enthusiasm both are
transmissible and smiles, laughter, curiosity and hope of sweet dreamer innocent
children provokes happiness in our hearts.
Every person who is away from his family and close ones is automatically
drawn towards the sweet memories of past. Ganpat is also going through such
situation. Even being 13500 km away from his native he meets daily with his
parents, his closest friend Vijay and his beloved Shruti. One doesn’t need to
remember the people who are close to ones heart. Memories themselves centralize
and shrink as if pulling the nerves towards them.
Navratri is coming close. The frequent tide of memories is quite natural.
Navratri and Garba dance are as chli-daman to each-other. When he was a kid he
had asked his grandfather, “Why these ladies dance with the pots having lamps
in mid of them on their head?”
Grandfather told, “My son, the pot is symbol of womb, and the enlightened
lamp in it is symbol of life. The purpose behind this dance is to pray that as
offspring are safe in their mother’s womb, the same way the children in the
womb (world) of almighty Godess Jagdamba be safe and happy. Garba has
originated from garbha. And all the creatures are children of maa Jagdamba, so
she is prayed in the garba so that happiness, prosperity and wellness come to
everyone.”
He realises that how much difference is between garba in the olden days
and now a days. In the olden days people use to dance on the bhajan and kirtan
songs and thap of dhol and today people go for garba dance to enjoy the company
of friends or reduce fat and DJ and pop music played at the garba venues. Ocean
of devotion is miles away from them.
Still after hearing name of garba, a tide of zeal and passion starts
rising beneath, something happens in the heart. Girls start practicing 15-20
days beforehand. They buy Chaniya-Choli for themselves as per their figure,
complexion and taste. They go to parlours and get facials, face packs, make-ups
of different kind, tattoos etc. as per their needs. Tattoos, how this festival
can be complete without them? As per one’s concept of modernity they are
applied on chin, arms, back, belly everywhere where their cultural
consciousness allows them to do.
And with maa jagdambe’s grace every girl becomes fairy. Fairies elated
and amused shrilling with thrill and happiness here and there in Ambe maa’s
chowk. Who will be able to be indifferent from these modern live fairies?
Probably no one, that’s why the nights are spent drinking their beauty through
eyes.
But does this stop over here? Ch..ch..ch..why am I asking such an
irrelevant question? Now imagine smart, well-dressed, fashion oriented but
traditionally dressed boy’s, who have appeared in the chowk only to attract the
aforesaid fairies. To eliminate the doubts about dancing skills they also
practice beforehand so that they can match the girls. In such a situation probability of Lord Kama
and Godess Rati dancing in vivid living forms, copying Krishna and Gopis doing
raas cannot be denied. It seems as if youth would have come down from the
heaven and knowingly or unknowingly would have been praying and doing parikrama
of Aadi-Mata. Sometimes these couples succeed in their life and become life
partners for ever. Praise the Aadi Mataa, how generous she is!!
He is unable to forget last navratra. He got purna-prasad of all the
prayers in navratras and garba’s in last navratra’s only. Shruti had done all
the arrangement. She had brought Mercedes of her friend along with her friend
so that there doesn’t arise any problem. They did garba in ‘Heart-Killer’ till
2 am. Shruti and Ganpat were dancing in each other’s desire. Dimple was witness
of all this, the same dimple whom Ganpat’s father wanted Ganpat to get married
with. After 2 am Shruti and Ganpat went in the Mercedes in a silent street for
having some rest.
“Oh God! At last I got you. I had been so hungry for your love.”
“And I had been not satisfied yet by drinking your beauty through eyes.”
And looking the images of their selves in each other’s eyes they were in
each other’s arms. Instantly Shruti pulled Ganpat’s face on her breast. Ganpat started
losing himself in the human aroma and could not come out of that and with the
passing time it was becoming difficult to unfasten them-selves....
But will he be able to go for garba this time? Probably not, he may have
to satisfy himself with Ramleela this time. He has heard a lot about Ramleela
of Banaras. It is said that performers of ramleela in Banaras learn all the
verses of ramcharitmanas by heart and different scenes are performed at
different places which add the realistic value of the play. The life partners
in the play become life partners for ever for example actors playing part of
Ram and Sita become pair forever and the expenses are paid by king of Banaras.
To carry this practice for ever without any obstacles all the actors are
specifically chosen and are unmarried. Slowly desire for visualising the
Ramleela became stronger and reached to its peak when he sat in the train for
Banaras. Really seeing Ramleela was a new experience.
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