One fine morning, if you find bamboo sticks fencing the road in front of your house or if you start experiencing unusual power cuts in the name of some upcoming spectacular happening, or if the markets gradually start looking graceful, then my dear, Dussehra is just at your doorstep; and what more? You’re in Allahabad!
The holy Sangam city whose proud inhabitants feel highly honoured to call it ‘Prayagraj’ boasts of its unmatched culture & festive arrangements. The presence of holy confluence of three sacred rivers called the Triveni Sangam, and one of the fifty-one Shaktipeeths and being one of the four sites to organise the grand Kumbh Mela makes the above fact quite obvious. Durga Puja Pandals, Street Lightings, Ramleela plays and on-road Chowkis: the city has a lot to show when the season of Durga Puja arrives. A huge sum of money, a tremendous amount of time and firm dedication result in something that compels people to get out of their homes & let the city witness its strength.
Each area in the city has its own Durga Puja Committee and hence its own Pandal. People flock to the large structures to view the beauty & fine works, to bow in front of the idol and obviously, to take pictures. I like the crowd. It unites all of us, though for a short period of time. That is the time when people of all castes, colour, class and sometimes, religion move together defying all forms of discrimination and prejudice. If you do not have a fear of the crowd, you may enjoy to the fullest but if you do, you can even become the reason for a stampede.
Riding on a bike on the street with an innumerable number of lights running parallel to it is the best part, precisely in the Chowk area. The busiest road in the city, the Grand Trunk Road is embellished like a bride. The 2-dimensional road is transformed to a 3-dimensional structure with three additional sides solely made of light bulbs and tube lights being erected. It is a feast to all the sense organs. The colourful lights stretching to the length that the eyes can see, the loudspeakers hooting devotional songs, the smell of the market, the taste of the food of the stalls and vendors and the touch of mobile screen at every small distance to capture the unusual sight fills one’s soul with eternal joy.
Numerous chowkis carrying various characters of the Ramayan move amidst the crowd on the roads. The show continues for the whole of the night and ends in the morning and along with that, ends the excitement for the night and a new day opens up with the same busy schedule & anticipation of another colourful night. On the last day, the burning of Ravan and the immersion of the idols take place, marking the end of the 10-day long festival.
Visit Prayag’s Dussehra once and cherish the unforgettable experience forever.
Edit: The name of Allahabad city had been officially changed to Prayagraj in 2018 while this article dates back to October 2015.
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