Jharkhand
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Is My Love Not Enough If I Do Not Fast for My Husband?
Says my Satyavan – “I will anyway live a 100 years just for you. For that, neither do you have to fast, nor do I.” And I fell in love yet again. Today, I am going to tread into an “unpopular opinion” territory. So, read with caution and without any judgement please. Recently, we just celebrated a festival, exclusively for married women – called Sabitri Brata in my home state and Vat Savitri at my in-laws. The essence is the same for both – it is based on the popular folklore of Savitri and Satyavan. Basically, the wife keeps a fast for the husband’s longer life on this day. Even…
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Festivals – Are They More Important Than a Global Pandemic?
Life has been so different since the year 2020. And so are the extravagant festivals celebrated in India. Gone are the days when festivals in India meant a surreal experience with fanfare at a different level. I still vividly remember how the first blow to Indian festivities was when the larger-than-life Ganpati celebrations were banned in Maharashtra, followed by the ban on the most-awaited Durga Puja in West Bengal. The pandemic was clutching its grip and the only way to fight it was – SOCIAL DISTANCING. It was a great feeling to experience the country coming together as one and fighting this nasty virus. It almost felt like we have…
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The grandeur of Chhath Puja at Dhanbad
Since the ‘Garib Rath’ direct route from Bhubaneswar to Dhanbad has been cancelled now (courtesy – the Jharia CoalField fires), we had to first take a train to Kolkata and then run for our lives to board another train to Dhanbad from a different railway platform. We were almost on the verge of missing this train due to overlapping timelines of our Indian railways. Perhaps, this thrill set the mood for my journey to Dhanbad – the Coal Capital of India! Travelling for the second-time after marriage to my husband’s city, was already giving me goosebumps. Once we reached the Dhanbad railway station, we decided to take an auto-rickshaw to…
