Uma's Story "Durga Puja in India"

Description

Digital Story from the Bawso Stories Project. In this story, Uma describes the festival of Durga Puja in India and how it has been a long time since she has been able to spend it with her family. This story was inspired by a visit to St Fagans National Museum of History and the emotional moment of seeing a statue of Durga Ma. English transcript: Durga Ma. Durga Ma also Bengali tradition. Hindu. Every Hindu, every year, every single, they give money to Durga Puja, a holy, like, British people, the Christmas, they are excited for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and I am excited when Durga Puja came.

So, once a year, October, is Durga Puja. So, every mum, children, everyone needs new clothes, new jewellery, everyone. And then ten days, maybe ten, eleven days is off… everything. Factory, office, everything, and sometimes train off because this is really important to Hindu Bengali, Durga Puja. Sometimes people call it Dussehra, and after Durga Puja, then it’s Diwali. Every Indian Hindu is Diwali, but the Dussehra, Durga Puja, only for Bengali.

Two years I’m here, and after three years, I’ve never been Durga Puja. Nearly five years, I’ve never been to Durga Puja. So, in my country, when you have a Durga Puja, every mum call daughter, son, a lot of people America, London, they go back to Durga Puja. So, yeah, my mum was really upset, every Durga Puja she cry, she never goes anywhere. Everyone goes, my sister, brother, everyone goes out and they enjoy Durga Puja but my mum not go.

I don’t know the one is in the museum, because suddenly, when I see this one… I’m really excited and I feel happy but emotional also, because basically, for Hindu people when you go temple, they pray, and they are emotional actually…

And thank you very much for this one. Because I see real life, like face to face. Always my husband sends video to Durga Puja time and they take pictures all the way, and my husband sends, and this time, I see the face to face, so I really like that one. I’m really happy for that actually.