Embowering one corner of the Sector stands a majestic Peepal tree. A couple of broken idols and religious fervour had elevated it to sorta-poojniya dimensions, some years ago. An annual bhandara sponsored by the lane residents was a small close affair, until Prabhu Dayal, our in-house guard, dug his heels in, and badgered and hectored his colleagues into conducting the Bhandara themselves. Ever ready to go the religious path, the Head Guard Guriya started a collection for the Programme. Some nay-sayers, notwithstanding; and clarifications by the RWA that the Bhandara was NOT their baby, the preparations continued unabated. Money and means poured in, with mind-boggling alacrity. Flour, potatoes, chickpeas, ghee, oil, and good old hard cash. For a Sector (like most, I guess) that moans and groans about a measly monthly contribution of Rs.350, to the RWA, the generosity of the residents was, well; mind-boggling. While the sceptics amongst us might snigger and sneer that it’s a pathetic effort to “Buy Off” God, no such qualms seemed to bother the donors.
Willy-nilly dragged into the proceedings, both by personal faith, and a need to ensure that both temporal and religious procedures were properly adhered to; the President instructed his personal Pandit to commence the Pooja with ‘Vidhi Vidhhaan’. The RWA music system was generously loaned for the duration of the Puja, with strict instructions to adhere to loudspeaker regulations.
Alabaster cheeked Mata ki murti was ensconced between the garden and the Guard Post, resplendent in glittering silks and Mukkut. Surrounded by the full paraphernalia of thaal, chandan, aarti phool, et al, she became the centre of activity for the entire sector for the duration of her stay with us.
What is amazing; and difficult for people of other religions to understand; is the amalgamation of the spiritual with the joyous in Hindu religious festivals. It is a celebration of life. Of Man as God. Of God as Man.
Prabhu Dayal, more often known for his regrettable fondness for Varuni, fasted 9 days straight, and slept in the Sthapit Sthal, after his Guard duties. No less ardent was Arjun, our Mother Dairy Guy, who inveigled his Uncle into preparing the Bhandara for a measly sum. Each evening, Residents gathered in droves for the Aarti. Parks were abandoned, as the Pandal became the Go-To place.
Navami came, and the Bhandara line was serpentine. Almost 1500 people received the Prasad. Kothi-ki –Maaklin and her gardener stood shoulder to shoulder, awaiting their turn. Food and God; the Great Levelers. Before the Visarjan, Mata was taken for a round of the Sector, to the musical accompaniment of a rather raucously ear-splitting DJ. Mata and sundry other idols, found around the Sector in a Khandit (shattered) state, were carted away full ceremony, to the Visarjan Sthal, and consigned to the waters, with prayers for her return, the following year.
