Dear All,
Today we welcome another new year. Our normal course would be of fun and frolic; of Baishakhi mela, of food fest, of fashion. We would ask that all ideas stale and stagnant gives way to thoughts fresh and green. We would roll out the customary pomp and paegentry and sing out in unison – ‘esho he boishakh, esho esho’. However, this year its different. The world is experiencing a turmoil it hasn’t seen in multiple generations. People are dying, and the economy is at a standstill.
Houston Durgabari started the year 2020 with big hopes and plans to celebrate 20 years of Durgabari. We welcomed the year by celebrating Kalapataru Utsav as per tradition on January 1, to commemorate the divine transformation of the great soul of India, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Devotees attended Puja followed by devotional songs. A delicious lunch prepared and served by HDBS volunteers completed the celebrations.
Saraswati Puja was celebrated next at Houston Durgabari on Saturday, February 1, 2020. It was a sunny and beautiful day. The celebration started with haate khori, pujo, prayer with the help of the next generation, musical and dance performances by the youth and ending with a bang with Tagore’s dance drama Tasher Desh (Land of Cards). Maha Shivratri came along soon after, on Friday, February 21. Devotees came to the temple to pour water and milk to perform Shiva Abhishekam. We celebrated Shiva puja with Rajbesh followed by Yagna. The volunteers served Prasad through the day.
Dol Purnima, the festival of Spring was held on Sunday, March 08. The day started with Radha Krishna Puja, followed by a celebration of colors where children and adults of the community enjoyed the tradition of playing “Dol” or “Holi” with abir (colorful powder) and water guns. Holi is one of the most popular festivals and we look forward to it every year. Unfortunately, around the time of Holi this year, the seeds of an unforeseen pandemic had already crept into our city.
With great sadness, but with the greater safety of the community in mind, HDBS announced the temporary closure of our beloved Durgabari to the public on Friday, March 13, following guidelines from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) and the City of Houston. It has been four weeks since then, and as community, we have been watching the evolving COVID-19 pandemic around us, while we wait with with immense patience and hope that things will improve in a few weeks. We have had to cancel all our Spring events, including Annapurna Puja, Maha Yagna, and Baisakhi Mela.
Today, as we mark the beginning of the Bengali New Year 1427, we pray to Ma Durga to heal the earth and those who are suffering. We pray for strength and patience to deal with uncertainties that we have never dealt with before. We pray that we, as a community can stay together in spirit and help each other during these difficult times. Even though we are physically distanced, we are blessed to be able to stay in touch through phone calls, emails, and video chats. Shubho Nabo Barsho to you all.
Sincerely,
HDBS Executive Board
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