So Saraswati puja is around the corner and the clichéd
“Saraswati puja is Bengali Valentine's day” phrase is doing the rounds. I’m not
religious enough to take offense at the mention of love on a holy occasion but
the comparison is probably not valid in today’s context.
May be one or two generations back when male-female interactions
were largely prohibited puja times had acted as an excuse for free mingling. But
nowadays children are raised in a different manner. They study in coeducational
institutions, they play in mixed groups and no one raises an eyebrow if a girl
and a boy are found interacting.
Saraswati puja thus is no longer the much needed bridge
between girls and boys. It definitely is an excuse for the teenagers to dress
up like grown ups and feel good about it. It definitely is an excuse to have
the delicious prasad and lunch. But it no longer qualifies as an excuse for
random flirting.
However I feel that the best part about Saraswati puja is
the irrevocable license to not study. [For those of you are unaware of the
tradition: Saraswati puja is the worship of the goddess of knowledge and
ironically people are not allowed to study on this day.]
Every one who has ever been a student has immensely enjoyed this study
curfew.
Sometimes the work shirker inside my bengali self wishes that the job sectors had similar no work policies…sigh...
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