Shakti Expired
Durga, Ma,
The goddess revered,
Celebrated, sung, The Shakti bearer,
Nature adorns her with choicest best,
Full moon face, glistening in sky,
Cascading hair, swelling monsoon falls,
Curls and waves, intertwining tendril springs,
Lotus eyes, petalled love and anger,
Vermillion Sun adorns, forehead wide,
Jewelry bedazzled, stars in night,
Accompanying lion, majestic sight,
Destroying demon,
upholding right.
Sacred month
of Ashwin knocks,
Reverence outpour, for ten days long,
Donations amassed, pandals mushroom,
Durga Ma featured in by lanes too,
Fasting, feasting and revelry sung,
Holidays more, work undone,
Mahalya, Shasthi and Navami done,
Dusshera comes, victory sung,
Colour flies, in Sindur Khela sights,
Dancing on dhol and dhuni smells,
Ma, farewells,
Sent to river bed,
With Rivers clogged,
And ponds dead,
Durga Ma, awaits visarjan yet.
Loved and revered for days few,
Abandoned soon, love expired too,
Flowers adorning, fresh in smell,
Incense burning, is smoking yet,
With expiry crossed, she must go,
Running out of space in house and hearts too,
Ignominy she faces, lying in pieces,
Floating around in dirty places,
With eyes closed and minds trapped,
Resolve again,
To get her back.
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GLOSSARY:
Durga: Goddess of Shakti in Hindu mythology.
Shakti: Female principle of divine energy.
Ashwin: 7th lunar month of Hindu calendar.
Pandals: Temporary, fabricated structure created for festivities.
Mahalya: Marks the beginning of Durga Puja festival.
Shashti: Sixth day of Durga Puja period.
Navami: Ninth day of the Puja period.
Dusshera: Tenth day of Puja period celebrating victory of right over wrong.
Sindur Khela: Women adorn deity and each other with vermillion powder.
Dhol: Double headed drum
Dhuni: Sacred site, burning with incense.
Visarjan: Immersion of Idol in water.
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