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- Shared joy on the Ichhamati
This story is from October 28, 2007
Shared joy on the Ichhamati
Borders disappear as people from India and Bangladesh converge on the Ichhamati river to bid farewell to Goddess Durga on Bijoyadashmi.
Durga Puja in West Bengal is an occasion for riotous joy and celebration. But the last day of the festival, Bijoyadashmi, brings with it a twinge of sadness. This is the day of bisorjan or the immersion ritual, when the devotees give the goddess a symbolic farewell.
However, it becomes an occasion of celebration and even an opportunity for strengthening cross-border ties, at a unique immersion spectacle that takes place at the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The Ichhamati river, which acts as a natural border between the two countries, becomes the scene of tremendous revelry on this day, when boats crammed with people from both countries converge here to immerse their respective idols. Boats of all shapes and sizes can be seen on the river, as far as the eye can see — each one flying the flag of its respective country.
‘‘I come here every year with my family to see this amazing spectacle,’’ says Howrah resident, Krishnendu Deb. He’s not the only one. In fact, for many people, Durga Puja is not complete unless they attend this event. And these include not just Hindus but Muslims too who come from Bangladesh to participate. Wearing colourful clothes, the devotees greet each other with ‘‘shubho bijoya’’, help in the immersion and enjoy the occasion. ‘‘
An added attraction is the easing of border restrictions on this day. ‘‘It is the only day during the year when border patrolling is relaxed and people can cross over to the other side of the river,’’ says a Border Security Force (BSF) official. While earlier, after immersing their idols, people could even disembark from their boats on the other side, restrictions imposed by border officials in the last few years has put an end to this practice.
This has not dampened the enthusiasm, though. People lined up on both sides of the river throw gifts into each other’s boats, ranging from fruits and chocolates to ice creams and even cigarettes.
With so many boats on the river, there is also the threat of mid-river collisions. But the people are too excited to bother. Says Subhash Mitra from Bangladesh: ‘‘We look forward to this day, since it’s an opportunity for us to see our relatives on the other side. Although we can’t meet them, we can still wave at them and share the joy of the festival with them,’’ he adds.
The immersion at Ichhamati also highlights the thread of a shared lineage between the two nations. ‘‘Although we have divided ourselves into two countries, it is during these festivals that we realise how similar our cultures still are,’’ remarks Prosenjit Das from Taki, on the Indian side of the border.
The flip side of this exercise, however, is the open opportunity that it provides to illegal immigrants and even smugglers. Since the border is almost porous on this day and there is a sea of humanity celebrating on boats and on the riverbanks, the chances of illegal immigrants slipping in unnoticed into either country are high. As also is the threat of smugglers, who use this opportunity to slip in contraband stuff like mobile phones and SIM cards.
BSF officials say that they are aware of the threat. ‘‘However, there is nothing much that we can do except increase our troop deployment on the day and keep a strict lookout for people who look like suspects,’’ they say.
Not that Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), BSF’s counterpart across the border, have it any easier. Many people from Bangladesh who illegally entered India earlier, use this event to try to get back home.
Despite these hiccups, the day remains one of celebration as Ichhamati accepts all the offerings that the people make, without discriminating on the basis of country, religion or caste. In that acceptance perhaps, lies the essence of festivals, which as someone wisely remarked, know no borders.
atul.sethi@timesgroup.com
However, it becomes an occasion of celebration and even an opportunity for strengthening cross-border ties, at a unique immersion spectacle that takes place at the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The Ichhamati river, which acts as a natural border between the two countries, becomes the scene of tremendous revelry on this day, when boats crammed with people from both countries converge here to immerse their respective idols. Boats of all shapes and sizes can be seen on the river, as far as the eye can see — each one flying the flag of its respective country.
‘‘I come here every year with my family to see this amazing spectacle,’’ says Howrah resident, Krishnendu Deb. He’s not the only one. In fact, for many people, Durga Puja is not complete unless they attend this event. And these include not just Hindus but Muslims too who come from Bangladesh to participate. Wearing colourful clothes, the devotees greet each other with ‘‘shubho bijoya’’, help in the immersion and enjoy the occasion. ‘‘
The excitement at this event is almost like a cricket match which nobody wants to miss. “Since boats are scarce, we book them months in advance to ensure that we are right in the middle of the action,’’ says Ghiyasuddin Mondol from Chittagong.
An added attraction is the easing of border restrictions on this day. ‘‘It is the only day during the year when border patrolling is relaxed and people can cross over to the other side of the river,’’ says a Border Security Force (BSF) official. While earlier, after immersing their idols, people could even disembark from their boats on the other side, restrictions imposed by border officials in the last few years has put an end to this practice.
This has not dampened the enthusiasm, though. People lined up on both sides of the river throw gifts into each other’s boats, ranging from fruits and chocolates to ice creams and even cigarettes.
With so many boats on the river, there is also the threat of mid-river collisions. But the people are too excited to bother. Says Subhash Mitra from Bangladesh: ‘‘We look forward to this day, since it’s an opportunity for us to see our relatives on the other side. Although we can’t meet them, we can still wave at them and share the joy of the festival with them,’’ he adds.
The immersion at Ichhamati also highlights the thread of a shared lineage between the two nations. ‘‘Although we have divided ourselves into two countries, it is during these festivals that we realise how similar our cultures still are,’’ remarks Prosenjit Das from Taki, on the Indian side of the border.
The flip side of this exercise, however, is the open opportunity that it provides to illegal immigrants and even smugglers. Since the border is almost porous on this day and there is a sea of humanity celebrating on boats and on the riverbanks, the chances of illegal immigrants slipping in unnoticed into either country are high. As also is the threat of smugglers, who use this opportunity to slip in contraband stuff like mobile phones and SIM cards.
BSF officials say that they are aware of the threat. ‘‘However, there is nothing much that we can do except increase our troop deployment on the day and keep a strict lookout for people who look like suspects,’’ they say.
Not that Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), BSF’s counterpart across the border, have it any easier. Many people from Bangladesh who illegally entered India earlier, use this event to try to get back home.
Despite these hiccups, the day remains one of celebration as Ichhamati accepts all the offerings that the people make, without discriminating on the basis of country, religion or caste. In that acceptance perhaps, lies the essence of festivals, which as someone wisely remarked, know no borders.
atul.sethi@timesgroup.com
End of Article
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