MAHALAYA
As October makes its entry, the monsoon clouds recede in the distant horizon to be replaced by an azure blue sky with flakes of fluffy white clouds moving at a leisurely pace from one end of the sky to the other. There is a chill in the early morning air with drops of dew covering the grass carpet beneath your feet. The tender corns of paddy sway in the breeze, rivers are full, the trees regain their charm, flowers bloom all over the countryside and birds disturb the silence with their happy chirpings. There is no need to announce that Sharodatsav has arrived! You can literally feel the festive mood setting in. The Eastern part goes gaga over Durga Puja, the North and the South prepare to burn effigies of the demon King Ravana to celebrate Dassera, whilst the West gets ready to dance to the tunes of dandiya to usher in Navaratri.
When the train enters the boundaries of Bengal, one can immediately experience the change and homesickness grips him. In order to become one with the elements, he gets down at Khragpur station, paces up and down the platform and has a cup of tea served in a ‘khuri’ (small earthen container that can fit into your palm!) to enjoy the full Bengali flavor. Then he searches his favorite snacks – shingara and vegetable chops!!
Durgotsav, as it is called in Bengal, starts from Mahalaya – this is the day that Godess Durga is supposed to have started her journey from her husband’s house in Mt. Kailash in the Himalayas to come to her mother’s place in Bengal accompanied by her children. On this auspicious day, early in the morning, at four o’ clock to be precise, a two hour long program is broadcast in Bengali from Akashvani Kolkata. A translated version  in Hindi is subsequently transmitted from all other important radio stations. The translation is restricted to only the text. The beautiful memorable songs are left untouched. Many of the artistes are no longer in our midst but their recorded voices still reverberate in each and every Bengali house on Mahalaya day. Titled ‘Mahisasurmardini’ (which means ‘the slayer of the demon-in-the-guise-of-a-buffalo’) this program narrates how Durga was conceived, how she was armed with a variety of weapons given by the Gods to destroy the demon and how she achieved her goal in bringing peace and happiness to the World.
A two hour pre-recorded cassette titled ‘Mahisasurmardini’ has been released by the Gramophone Company of India (Ltd), Calcutta in 1983. Recitation of the shlokas in fluent Sanskrit is by Birendra Krishna Bhadra and Music Direction is by Pankaj Kumar Mallick. It comes in a set of two cassettes and the Catalogue No. is FPHV842114/115. It was broadcast for the first time way back in 1932!! Birendra Krishna Bhadra was only 28 years old at that time. 2004 happens to be his centenary year. An audio version of mahalaya is available here - http://bangalinet1.tripod.com/maha_page.htm
The demon ‘mahisasur’ signifies the umpteen-plus-one faces of evil and the weapons of Durga signify the innumerable weapons at our own disposal to tackle the evils that we face every day. The weapons were gifted to her by the Gods – with the single purpose of slaying the demon. Lord Shiva gave her the Trident; Vishnu stepped in with his Sudarshan Chakra; Indra chipped in with thunder; Surya, the Sun God gave her the bow and arrow whilst Viswakarma gave her the shield and other protective clothing. Brahma contributed the kamandalu; Kuber, the multi jeweled necklace and Yamraj, the kaldanda! In addition, the Himalayas gave her the lion, to carry her into the warfront.
Listening to the wonderful rendering of Mahisasurmardini as the cool autumn dawn slowly breaks over the horizon while sipping a cup of tea snuggled in the comforts of the blanket is a heavenly feeling. The whole world wakes up from slumber to greet the onset of Durga Puja of which Mahalaya is the first step.
On Mahalaya day, another important ritual is to remember our ancestors by doing the ‘tarpan’. It is performed by offering token food and water in the names of those who were our near and dear ones but who are no longer alive.
Normally, bonus to all employees are paid latest by Mahalaya – hence, the shopping spree also gains momentum with shops displaying the latest designs, offering discounts on earlier unsold stocks and inviting customers to participate in various gift schemes to boost their sales.
DURGA PUJA CELEBRATIONS WORLD WIDE
The mother of all festivals is breathing down our necks. For those directly involved in the celebrations, it is panic raised to the power of infinity. Beginning from arranging for the inauguration till the immersion, there are umpteen plus one steps, innumerable number of bridges to be crossed, thousands of obstacles to be overcome. The funds of most of the Pujas are obtained through advertisements of sponsors and patrons in the Souvenir booklets. Managing to get hold of these advertisements is an art by itself and, in every committee there is a handful who have mastered this art. Obviously, they enjoy better status in society and more privileges. Rome was not built in a day; Durga Puja also is not an affair that you can  complete within a time frame. The time frame invariably gets distorted, budgets go haywire and tempers become unmanageable. In spite of these known hardships, the rituals go on and on, old committees give way to the new, concepts undergo changes, festivities that once were restricted to close-knit groups have now surrendered to the dictates of corporate houses. After all, it is a part of the game known as promotions. The corporate sponsors a Puja to promote its image in the market – as you trudge through the maze of people, you are compelled to see posters, and banners of those who have taken pains to ensure that their brands are etched forever in not only your memory but the memories of all those around you, including your toddlers.
Now, about some celebrations out of Bengal but in India – the first is in Mumbai. There are several high budget Pujas here and, being closely associated with Bollywood, the glamour factor is great. The oldest is the Mumbai Durgabari Samiti Sarbojanin – this year it is in its 76th year, the budget is around thirty lakhs. Dadar Shivajipark pujas is in its 70th year and the tentative budget is eighteen to twenty lakhs. Kallol  Kalibari Durgotsav is in its 40th year, budget fifteen lakhs. The one in Bandra is in its 33rd year, budget twenty lakhs. Other venues are the Khar Ramkrishna Mission, Chembur Durga Puja Association (budget 20 lakhs), Bhandup Durgotsav Samiti (21 years, eight lakhs), Vashi New Bombay Association (budget 33 lakhs), Vashi Cultutral Association (budget fifteen to eighteen lakhs), Kopar Khairan Bengali Association in Navi Mumbai (budget twenty lakhs), Nerul Aamra Probasi (five lakhs).
The Lokhandawala Sarbojanin Pujas of playback singer Abhijeet in Mumbai is in its tenth year. Its budget is reported to be the largest. Read more on this – http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041020/asp/frontpage/story_3905320.asp
In nearby Thane, there are six to seven Pujas and in Pune, twelve to fourteen. Close by Nashik boasts of four major ones – like the ones in the Government of India Press, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the Air force in Ojhar, then the one in the industrial area of Satpur-Ambad.
Regarding Pujas in other locations, especially overseas, the following links are worth a visit -
http://www.rumela.com/events/durga_puja_overseas.htm
Durga Puja rituals - http://festivals.iloveindia.com/durga-puja/durga-puja-customs.html
DURGA TO SAN FRANCISCO
This is the story of an enterprising young person who has become a pioneer of sorts in Kolkata. He is into e-biz; his products are the clay idols of Durga and her retinue that are in demand all over the world, in various nooks and corners on the occasion of Durga Puja. He started his business last year by dispatching one of his  products to San Francisco. This year, he has bagged orders for seventeen – all of these are not Durga but Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Nataraj. The orders for Durga stand at three – the one from San Francisco has already been shipped. The remaining two are slated to leave for Australia and New Zealand. Innovativeness rules the day.
How did he manage to bag these orders? Through e-mail and chatting. He locates the prospective clients and starts the ball rolling. His rates are competitive – cost of the idol is around sixty thousand rupees, packing and forwarding another seventy thousand. We should be proud of this gentleman – he is a pioneer and has shown that where there is a will, there is always a way. His name is Pradyut Pal.
The following is a message he sent me on 18/6/2005 through my blog –
http://o3.indiatimes.com/rediscoveringindia/archive/2004/10/24/18120.aspx
The report of his innovative efforts made it to the front page in one of the leading Bengali dailies on 20/9/2005. Till last year, I used to get this daily paper through post – invariably, the issues would be at least four days old (transit time through the post), and still they brought me and my wife that much nearer home - especially during festivities. We would go through the pages, lap up the offerings and be the centre of attraction in our limited group. But, things have changed. Today, I get the day’s newspaper the same day itself – thanks to technology. The complete issue is the internet version; it is downloaded in Mumbai, and printed and dispatched to various locations in Maharastra. In the bargain I have lost considerable popularity because every Bengali subscribes to this paper and I do not find any thing new to add during conversations! Instead of being an exception, I am now one among many.
DURGA PUJA 2005 HAS COME
The festive season has begun. Ganesh pujas are over and Durga Puja is just around the corner. Kolkata Doordarshan plans to telecast a documentary made to honor the legendary Birendra Krishna Bhadra on his centenary. The program will be telecast on the day prior to Mahalaya. Birendra Krishna Bhadra needs no introduction to Bengalis – the Durga Puja festivities begin with his recitation of early morning stotras over Akashvani (All India Radio) on the occasion of Mahalaya. This is the auspicious day when Goddess Durga is supposed to have begun her journey, along with her children, from the Himalayas to come down to Earth and visit the house of her Mother.
Monsoons are beating the retreat, there is a nip in the air, the print media gives full page displays of different varieties of footwear on offer, and the Railways announce Puja special trains from various destinations to Howrah, one of the busiest of railway stations in the sub-continent during these festivities. The electronic media does not want to be left far behind – they bombard you with display of the latest in dress and fashion, of unheard of tourist destinations in and around Bengal apart from discussions on every conceivable subject under the sun related to ‘how best to extract the maximum from the four days.’ A visit to the net revealed a couple of interesting sites:
http://www.durga-puja.org/mahalaya.html
http://www.flonnet.com/fl2020/stories/20031010000106600.htm
http://www.bengalonthenet.com/puja/php/display.php?sec_id=2&sub_sec=1
In the last few years, the very concept of community celebrations has changed considerably. It seems plans for the year begin soon after the immersions of the previous year. The artists (usually from the Art colleges) who design the theme and associated paraphernalia carry out volumes of research and take the assistance of the internet to come up with attractive proposals. Once the Puja committee approves them, the activities begin. The idol making is entrusted to reliable persons who are  given cell phones so that minute to minute progress can be monitored! The organizers leave no stone unturned to ensure the best value for money. In the modern age of sponsorship, it is the hype created around the Puja that matter – hype creates a curiosity which translates into greater visibility for the sponsors. In fact, large houses have instituted awards for which teams are formed by drawing together a group of talented persons (established authors, singers, sportspersons, stars of the silver screens etc.) who visit the pandals and judge the idols, the decorations, the themes, the arrangements. Obviously, the competition is intense and every organizer plays his cards close to his chest, there have been instances when spying networks are set up to collect secret information on the rival’s preparations.
For those who live outside Bengal, this is usually the period of homecoming. For youngsters, this could be an annual affair, for the elders, it may occur once in two or four years, depending on the feasibility of getting leave and considering school schedules of their children. The families normally choose to travel by train for which tickets are procured two months in advance. Once the tickets are in the custody, the count down begins culminating with frantic buying for the near and dear ones back home as the D-day approaches. The train journey remains a memorable one because you discover that practically every other passenger is in your category. You exchange notes and, in some cases, addresses, phone numbers.
CREATIVITY AT ITS BEST – PUJAS 2005
Creativity is second nature to us. Any living being creates. God has created the Universe and hundreds of thousands of living beings from the tiniest of humming birds to the largest of the elephants. He has created human beings, he has ordained that they, in turn create offspring so that the continuity is maintained. That is why we have in our midst people with visions of creation. Some of them are artists, some are authors, others are industrialists – each one of them views the world in a different perspective. To a vocalist, the world is sa-re-ga-ma-pa; to the sculptor, the world is chisel and hammer; to the painter, the world is an exceptionally large canvas, paint brush and colors. All of them come together during the Durga Pujas to present their best – the lengths they go to for creating their products is mind boggling. In an effort to satisfy their inner desire to give to the world their best, they try to replicate monuments just by looking at their photographs. Whilst many use conventional material, others go in for the exotic like pandals of leaves of the sal plant, or made out of matting or of whole spices, areca nuts. One of them constructed the pandal out of hundreds of dhaks (a sort of drum). Another has made extensive use of shellac. The conventional bamboo and tarpaulin pandals have receded into the background - probably due to reduction in the number of mangroves. The artisans have changed routes before it is too late; they have opted for alternate materials. During the Pujas, creativity is at its best.
Traditional domestic Pujas are still conducted in a few households in Kolkata – among them, the one of Sabarna Roy Choudhury started in 1610 is the oldest. Next are the ones of the Black Zaminder Gobinda Ram Mitra and Raja of Shobha Bazaar Naba Krishna Deb. Others are the Chaltabagan Ghosh family and the Seal family of Chorbagan from 1856. As the noted author Shankar said recently in an article – ‘the Pujas have not changed a bit over the years. It is the same Evil, in the form of Asura, being overpowered by the Goddess Durga; what has changed is our perspective!’ How very true.
TIT BITS OF DURGA PUJA 2005
Every year, there is a rush to rope in celebrities for the inauguration of important Pujas. Normally, celebs of the silver screen, players of repute, and eminent authors are preferred apart from political bigwigs like Central ministers or the Governor. This year, one committee has obtained the consent of the CM of Manipur who will come down to inaugurate the Puja – its theme is Manipur and it is only appropriate that the CM of the state does the honors. Similarly, another committee who has selected the Mukteswar temple of Orissa as its theme waits for the nod from its CM.
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The total number of Sarbojanin Durga Pujas in Kolkata this year is 1125 – out of these, many organizers have occupied large portions of the public roads to erect the pandals where the idols will be positioned.
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Until quite recently, unimaginable displays of colored lights used to be what Kolkattans would rave about – the electricians of Chandernagore would devise ways and means of how best to project a lighted animated display of India winning the cricket World cup or of a disaster like a plane highjack or of Sourav Ganguli waving his banyan. Today, these electricians are no longer in demand. The reason is the exorbitantly high cost involved. It seems the average consumption of electricity for a display runs into 600 Kilowatts. At the current rate of one hundred rupees per Kilowatt per day, the cost on this account itself runs into three lakhs of rupees. Very few committees want to shoulder this burden – they opt for theme Pujas which consume much less electricity.
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Durga idols are made in Kumartuli – the basic raw materials are the soil from the bed of the Ganges, hay and bamboo for the framework from neighboring villages accompanied by paints and glossy varnish. There was a beautiful informative feature on the subject in the Discovery channel (24/9/2005 in the evening slot). Even though it was of the year 2000 vintage, it portrayed the pujas remarkably well. On an average, 3000 idols are made, most of them are of the traditional type, and exceptions are for those with specific themes. These are costlier hence have few takers. Once a Puja committee opts to go for a theme, its cost mounts because all associated decorative pieces light lighting, the décor, construction of the pandal etc. need to match with the basic theme. On an average the committee has to spend around ten to twelve lakh rupees to make any lasting impression on the discerning public.
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The CD has become an invaluable aid for the Puja committees – video footage of previous years pujas, showing the extent of popularity in terms of crowd pulling abilities, influence corporate houses to sign the contracts. Many of the prestigious idols are made in locations out of Kolkata (for reasons of security, so that the element of surprising the rivals remains.) It is not possible for the committee members to go there just to see how far the work has progressed. Therefore, one member is deputed to visit the site and come back with the videos – these are studied along with the craftsman and reps of associated departments like the pandal decorator, the light man etc. and suitable modifications incorporated. The intention is to get the best value for money.
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The lotus flower is a must for the main Puja on the ashtami day – the requirement is of the order of 108 pieces per Puja! The lotus blooms during the monsoons and, by the time the Pujas begin, it is difficult to lay hands on them. The flowers that usually sell for fifty paise goes up to fifteen rupees. In order to combat this, the flowers are now being plucked in advance and stored in controlled conditions in specially designed cold storages. Hopefully, it will be less difficult to procure lotus this year.
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It is reported that railway reservations are just not available to move out of Kolkata. The news in a local vernacular newspaper (dated 25/9/2005) says that more than 50,000 would-be travelers have to pray to Goddess Durga that their waiting list tickets get confirmed. The heaviest rush is for trains to Rajasthan – that is the impression one gets on perusing the demand for Jodhpur Express. This year, the railways plan for 96 Puja special trains out of which 34 are towards New Delhi. Last year the figure was 66.
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For those who love to pamper the taste buds, the following should make mouths water –
‘Tamarind’ on Sarat Bose Road offers Hyderabadi food festival during the festivities: sample dishes – ‘dawat-e-nizam’ which is nothing but the leg of a sheep cooked with Hyderabadi masala in traditional style priced at Rs 500.00 for a full plate! Then there is the Coorg Chicken, Karnataki recipe at Rs 135.00 followed by dum-chicken (whole roasted chickens with gravy) at Rs 190.00. For dessert, you can taste fried bread slices soaked in rabri and sprinkled with finely chopped almonds, cashew nuts and kish-mish.
Another joint crying for attention is ‘Orks’ located in the City Center of Salt Lake. Here special Puja thali are the craze – the menu consists of prawns prepared in tender coconut (daab-chingri), rich preparation of rohu fish (rui-machher kalia), date+mango chutney, dhokar dalna, pataler dolma etc. The rates are Rs 365 and 255 respectively for the non-veg and veg types. In addition, there is a menu comprising four types of kebabs – price Rs 500.00. The kebab platter comes for Rs 350.00!!
If you are a fan of Chinese cuisine, you have to drop in on ‘Mainland China’ on Gurusaday Road. They have arranged for buffet lunch and dinner for Rs 350.00. Prawns cooked in hot garlic sauce or spiced oysters will transport you to another dimension.
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In order to maintain law and order and control traffic, additional police booths will be set up. There will be more than 10,000 policemen on duty. Combat Forces and RAF will be on standby. http://telegraphindia.com/1051008/asp/calcutta/story_5333160.asp
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A Minister of the West Bengal Government will be presenting an adivasi dance program on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the Pujas of the National Airport Authority of India, Mumbai at Santa Cruz. The Minister with his troupe of 21 members will leave for Mumbai on 9th October by train.
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The names Tantuja, Tantusree and Manjusha used to be popular brand names in the fashion world even a few years back. These once profit centers are today loss making enterprises of the West Bengal Government. They used to be the major outlets for sarees manufactured by the weavers of Bengal but were unable to cope up with the tremendous competition from others. As a result, whatever stocks they hold today are all outdated old designs that no one wants.
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The fashion craze this year is the ‘mix-and-match’ sarees. Light color background with deep borders: batik, block and embroidery work - all on the same saree. Other variations are painted tribal motifs or spray painted abstract arts. Hand painted sarees are usually on tasar silk – black tasar silk with Mexican civilization motifs in silver grey.
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Despite taking precautions, there are a number of Pujas where the same theme has surfaced – for example, the idols made of shellac: as many as four have used this medium. Predictions are that at least one of them will feature in this year’s top 20.
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One mandap is made out of 80,000 wooden Ganesh idols. Another is presenting wood carvings on rejected railway wooden sleepers. The terracotta theme is there in as many as ten mandaps. As an artist remarked – ‘originality is taking a beating, the same theme keeps coming back.’
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And, a particular Puja is conducted by non Brahmins. It is in the Bashoa Dakshinpara village of Birbhum district. They have been performing this Puja for the past 32 years. The idol here is not the traditional one of Durga with her children Kartik, Ganesh, Lakshmi and Saraswati but of Devi Durga in front of whom sits Lord Ram with folded hands. Alongside him are Lakshman and Hanuman.
DURGA PUJAS 2005 – KOLKATA AND OVERSEAS
Here is a selection of the Fav Five of Kolkata as perceived by the Telegraph -
http://telegraphindia.com/1051010/asp/calcutta/story_5341326.asp
Durga is the spice, bread and grain of life –
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1513030,00470002.htm
Bengalis who reside in Bengal enjoy Durga Pujas no matter whether it rains or not. As the popular saying goes – ‘this is that period in the life of a youngster when he does quite a number of things for the first time – the first smoke, the first wink, the first fluttering of the eyelids.’ Those who have settled in other parts of India participate in programs that are nearest to their homes, they feel homesick, and yearn for the real things back home. But, for those who have settled abroad, getting together to share this happiness is an event of sorts that need to be planned well in advance. A search on the internet revealed the following websites that deal with Durga Pujas 2005. Hence, I have indicated the links. Readers can follow them, share their experiences and realize the amount of enthusiasm that exists in Bengalis wherever they may be present.
Sunnyvale, California - http://www.sulekha.com/events/evtdp.aspx?cid=137653
Maynard, MA – http://www.prabasione.org/durga_puja.htm
Canada - http://deshantari.com/durgapuja2005.htm
The credit of dispatching the first Durga idol made of ‘shola’ goes to one Amar Nath Ghosh of Kumartuli. He has been at it for the last thirty years. The idols are small and extra light but used to be invariably colored white – the basic color of ‘shola’. However, with the growing demand of colors, the artist has devised his unique method. The final products are so breathtaking that the East Coast Museum of New York and Frankfurt Anthropological Museum have preserved them.
STILL MORE ON DURGA PUJAS 2005
For pandal hoppers, especially those not in the thick of things in Kolkata, this is a MUST visit – http://durgapandals.anandautsav.com/abpgallery/index.php
The coveted awards of 2005, announced by one group of sponsors, have gone to the following in Kolkata – best Pujas, idol and pandal – 66 Palli Sarbojanin; best lighting – Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha. The recipients of the Finolex ‘Alok Suraksha Sanmaan’ awards are 25 Palli Sarbojanin, Kidderpore and Chakraberia Sarbojanin, Bhowanipur. The top six Pujas that have bagged the Asian Paints Sharada Sanmaan are Adarsh Palli, the Behala Club, Shibmandir, Swapnar bagan, Naktala Udayan Sangha and the Adarsh Palli. The Utsav Cup has gone to Suruchi Sangha of New Alipore. Their theme on Manipur was adjudged the best.
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The number of visitors on the evening of Shashti, Saptami and Ashtami in some well known pandals at two hour intervals (from 8 pm onwards) were:
Shashti – Suruchi Sangha and Mudiali – 5000, 9000 and 12,000.
Saptami – Suruchi Sangha : 6000, 12000, 18000
Mudiali : 5000, 10000, 12000
Ashtami - Suruchi Sangha : 8000, 14000, 18000
Mudiali : 8000, 13000, 16000
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The CESC has supplied in excess of 1300 MW of electricity on 27th September 2005 at 18.30 hrs – this is considered to be an all time high. It made a humble beginning in 1899 supplying one MW. It took nearly five years to cross over from the 1200 MW to 1300 MW mark.
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A gentleman was surprised when he went pandal hopping with his wife – he recognized an idol made of fiberglass as being the one that was worshipped by the committee in which he was a member the previous year!! It seems that the artist concerned had asked for the idol to be given back to him – he has suggested that the proceeds of its sale would be shared once he manages to offload it. But he coolly passed off to a second unsuspecting committee. This is not new to overseas celebrations; the same idol is circulated to different locations for up to five years based on mutual understanding between the respective organizers. But, it is new to Kolkata.
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Khichudi is a very special preparation that is served during Durga Pujas everywhere. It is basically a preparation of raw rice and moong dal. The art of making it tasty rests not only on its ingredients but also on the person who adds his magic touch. This is especially true for the khichudi of the Belur Math. It seems 3500 Kgs. of rice and an equal amount of fried moong dal go into it. Other ingredients are 2000 Kgs. Pf potato, 1000 Kgs. of carrots, 500 Kgs. of green peas and spices like ginger, chili, turmeric, bay leaves and a purely Bengali spice known as ‘paanch foran.’ Oil or ghee is not used at all. The vessels in which these are prepared arte obviously huge – each of them can accommodate at least one quintal of khichudi. The preparation time is around one hour for each of the containers.
ADIEU MA DURGA 2005
All good things must come to an end – no one will dispute this basic logic of life. With each passing year, we mature and keep adding to out treasure house of knowledge tiny tit bits that come to our rescue once in a while. Wise men have said that knowledge never goes waste, only one must get the opportunity to bask in the warmth of one’s acquisitions. By the same logic, Goddess Durga has, by now, returned to her abode in the mountains of Kailash and must be sharing her new found knowledge with Lord Shiva. In this age of laptops, internet, mobile phones and SMS, Ma Durga must have called upon her daughter Saraswati to enlighten the Lord on various aspects of modern day celebrations.
Festivals like the Durga Puja opens up innumerable doors of possibilities to those who are aware of the tricks of the trade. Once upon a time, during the Puja shopping spree, it was but natural that the children drag their parents to bookshops. There they would select an exclusive edition of popular Annuals released by reputed publishing houses and packed from cover to cover with tales of fantasy and adventure penned by authors who became children at heart when they created heavenly atmospheres in which to dispense their preparations. For the grown ups, there were the special Puja editions of magazines – the authors of these special editions would be contracted at least six months in advance and would be gifted with healthy cheques along with fully paid holidays to destinations of his/hers choice so that he/she can retire to a corner of the world and concentrate on whatever he/she thinks will catch the fancy of the discerning readers. Alas, such scenes are not seen today.
A relatively new culture is that of sponsorship. As a leading brand manager admitted – sponsoring banners in Puja pandals are several times cheaper than the print or electronic media. Moreover, awards are given away by the sponsors under a number of heads like the best idol, the best pandal, the best lighting etc. In the bargain, the Puja committee and the sponsors both gain mileage. As someone remarked, sponsorship comes through unseen links – invisible threads jump into action and bargains are struck to ensure that the promised dreams materialize.
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