Dwelling happily in paradoxes

 We are living in a country where paradoxes galore. The walks and talks tend to differ substantially. Such dual behavior extends to almost every sphere we are into. Females in the form of Maa Kali, Saraswati, and Luxmi are worshipped on one hand but the other is subjected to every kind of gender bias and torture, the need for our Matra Bhasha Hindi to be at the core of all communications is propagated from various platforms but we accept with utmost pride and soothing amusement, our children communicate in chaste, flawless, and fluent English. Corruption is vehemently criticized as the greatest monster eating into the development and growth of our country but we very conveniently become part of it.  

Maa Durga puja in the form of Navratras is celebrated amidst serene ambiance in homes and bazaars.  The puja infrastructures in which the ‘eatables for fast’ are conspicuous by their presence adorn the market. The importance of young girls in the form of ‘Kanjaks’ is seen to be believed on the penultimate day of ‘Ashtami’ which marks the formal end of Navratas. The school-going girls are pre-booked for the occasion. The Kanjaks get escorted by the devotees to their respective homes to avoid any hijacking in between.  Realizing such importance, the girls from comparatively low-income groups are seen going house to house with the request of entertaining them as ‘Kanjaks’ who are said to be Maa’s avatar but most of the time they are not allowed entry. The poor girls are entertained only when some households fail to prearrange these ‘Goddesses. One such Goddess was made to visit our place and was duly worshipped as the ‘divine ‘Kanjak’. She now happens to visit our place occasionally, substituting her mother, who has been employed as a maid at our place for years. This put my humanitarian and religious instincts on the boil and despite my objections which stand overruled by the ‘Boss’, she continues in the absence of her mother as that suits my wife and I have candidly been told not to poke my nose in the ‘Zero Interference Zone’. I know that we shall continue living with such paradoxical realities.

 On the day of Ashtami Pujan which marks the end of Navratras one witnesses on one side the decorated mandirs where devotees throng for Maa’s blessings and Prasad, but on the other one cannot ignore the ecstasy at the wine shops and Non-veg. kiosks. The sentiment of euphoria is writ large on the faces of persons who have been forcefully put on restraint for these days.  After all, they have completed the exile and have counted these eight days on their fingers. My cerebral churning oozes out various thoughts for such euphoria and puts me into yet another conundrum. But in my country, one must learn to live happily with such paradoxes and stop searching for logic and reason in everything. Oh confusing, is not it?