।। ত্রিতাপহারিণী ২০২০।। T3 শারদ সংখ্যায় Pankhuri Sinha

Durga--the people protecting goddess Riding a roaring tiger She commands the enemy army Prevails over the unholy war And captures Mahisasura The leader of the demons Lies at her feet Beside the tiger Injured, defeated, bleeding Her trishul, the triple faced weapon Piercing through the demons chest Redness of blood Warm and gushing Stopped in its flow Captured in the statue maker’s art The Moment of victory Frozen in a mud fresco Being worshipped For ten days In the festival of durga puja or Navratra! A colourful, musical, auspicious time To visit India!

The western state of Gujarat Dances to the tune of Garba Clicking dandiya sticks in Rhythmical steps And though celebrated nation wide The décor of the Bengali pandals Cloth tents decorated with flowers Sea shells, vendors, musicians Has earned fame, far and wide Worshippers, devotees, visitors All stand infront of the diety Hands folded Faith, awe, imitation All human emotions Acknowledged by the goddess Say the believers! Her idol, and that of the demon The tiger, and the weapons The cousin gods and sisters Children gods and their consorts Each endowed with miraculous power To bless and curse! Kind though, the sages say All made up of mud and clay Exhibiting the hindu philosophy of life At once, fragile and eternal!

The earthen gods All brought to the altar On the first auspicious day Special prayers chanted to Make them come alive! Goddess Durga descends from the heavens above During these days Each year, on a different vehicle An elephant, a horse, or a palenquine Carried by heavenly creatures! The goddess descendes to meet And be greeted Not in pomp and show But by honest, simple hearts She comes to see about The welfare of All children of gods And talk to mother nature herself! Let us hope this year The dialogue will be calming For the humans Dealing with an epidemic They simply failed to control!

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