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Contents Editorial………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4 President’s Note………………………………………………………………………………..……………………….6 Webmaster’s Note……………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 The Empire Strikes Back……………………………………………………………………………………….10 Food and Festivals – A Cultural Perspective………………………………………..……………15 Significance of the Nine Colors for Navratri…………………………………………...………...21 Portrait……………………………………………………………………………...………………………………………22 Durgapuja – From Nostalgia to Samhita……………………………………………...……………23 My First Visit to Sedona……………………………………………………………...…………………………25 Samhita Puja……………………………………………………………………………………………………………26 Melted Crayon Art……………………………………………………………………………..……………………27 Artwork………………………………………………………………………………………………………......…………28 Samhita Kids……………………………………………………………………………………………………………29 Acknowledgement………………………………………………………………………………………..…………37 3
Editorial by Partha Chakraborty Firstly, I welcome all fellow AZ Samhita members, patrons, and visitors like you to celebrate the Durga Puja with us. Please take a few moments to go through the pages of the fifth edition of this annual magazine, carefully crafted by contributions from multiple members of all ages. The editorial exercise for this magazine was quite inspirational for me and hoping that this will inspire you to contribute to one of our forthcoming annual publications. I was ably supported by my wife Tanusree Chakraborty, who has an excellent pedigree in the artistic faculties, to say the least. Each art motif and design, including the cover pages, placed all around the magazine were well thought out to highlight some of the very special elements, events, and history associated with celebrating Durgapuja, Navratri, and Dussehra. Hoping you will appreciate it. Special features of this magazine include two intellectually stimulating invited contributions, and for the first time a separate section titled “Samhita Kids.” “Samhita Kids” is composed of contributions made by the children of current AZ Samhita members. Special credit is due to the parents who inspired their kids to contribute to this magazine, way to go. I would like to thank all those who helped in putting this magazine together. The timely help of Esha Bhattacharya is highly appreciated. As an organization AZ Samhita is still in infancy, however we are learning fast and growing strong with each passing year. I firmly believe that AZ Samhita has all the creative and artistic talents to make this annual magazine a success every year. I wish you a very Happy Durgapuja, Navratri, and Dussehra; with blessings of Devi Durga.
Yaa Devi Sarva Bhuteshu, Shakti Rupena Sansthita
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President’s Note by Biswarup Chattaraj President, Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona
Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona (AZ Samhita) cordially invites you and requests your presence to celebrate 2018 Durga Puja with us. "Shakti," the personification of the divine feminine power is celebrated by Indians across the world with great zeal and fervor. The celebration is dear to all of us wherein "Shakti" is celebrated as "Ma Durga" during Durga Puja, as the embodiment of power and symbol of feminine strength culminating in the victory of Good over Evil.
This year AZ Samhita's executive team has planned to implement some much-needed changes based on the feedback of our members and visitors. We have been successfully able to grow our core membership, and thanks to the initiative of those who have made this happen. We have started celebrating Durga Puja for 3 days as our core membership strength have grown and more individuals/families are keen to take on additional responsibilities and see our roots grow. We are trying our best to give a great experience for "FOOD" - a name with which all of us symbolize and love to indulge during the Puja, taking us back to our roots. We have participated in multiple charitable activities which primarily revolves around the upliftment of the deprived sections of the society and give them a reason to smile during the festive season. Some of the activities included teaming up with Smile Donor and bringing in a positive change to an orphanage in India; donating to the Bharat Sevashram Sangha of USA to help with scholarship for needy students and free health checkup for the poorest sections of the society; volunteering with FMSC and AZCEND Hygiene Drive who work towards enriching the lives of those in need. 6
The celebration and charitable activities are possible only for the generous donation and support from our Patrons, Annual Members and Sponsors. We would also like to thank the previous Executive Committee for their dedication and support for the past 2 years which has given us a strong base to carry on these activities.
I sincerely pray to MA Durga for fulfilling all your wishes this year and ushering in all the positive changes in your life. Moreover, I sincerely hope you all would come and enjoy the Puja with us and be a part of us, so that we can carry forward such an effort with grander schemes and bring in a positive change in everyone's life.
HAPPY DURGA PUJA/ DUSSEHRA WISHES to all
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Webmaster’s Note by Anirban Bhattacharya Webmaster, www.azsamhita.org
This has been an exciting year. We already had a great functional website for AZ Samhita, but it needed to be geared better for all kinds of devices. Our first aim was to make it a responsive web application for all devices and browsers. We tried and have implemented it as planned this time.
The new website is working seamlessly for all and guests are providing constructive feedback. During the days of puja celebration for 2018, we thought of providing a wizard to guests so that they can use it to customize their plan for visitation and participation. The currently revamped website is an outcome of multiple meetings and brainstorming sessions that we conducted throughout the year.
After the puja celebrations are over, there is a desire and plan to digitize the membership options, so that the membership subscriptions process can be mostly self-managed, and members can interact online.
With Ma Durga's blessings I am hoping to successfully deliver on the new plans soon and for the remainder of my term as the webmaster of AZ Samhita.
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The Empire Strikes Back by Raghunandan V. Kalambatti (Invited Contribution) On this auspicious occasion of Durga Pujo it is time to seek blessings from Durga Maa for strength to fight evil, in thoughts, speech and deeds. Durga Pujo is a way of expressing our faith and culture which has survived thousands of years. Ironically, only recently there was news from West Bengal that Hindus were being prevented from conducting the festivities in public in certain areas of the state. We in India have retained our cultural identity with the exception of a few districts in Kashmir. This, in spite of eight hundred years of marauding attacks from West Asia, tyrannical rule from Delhi and two hundred years of British rule. The events in West Bengal are, no doubt, a challenge to that identity. When Iran was invaded, Zoroastrianism was wiped out in twenty some years and the Parsees fled to India. Iraq and Egypt met the same fate. Diverse indigenous cultures of thousands of years have disappeared from Morocco to Indonesia. India is the only oasis. Yet how little we are told about our achievements in resisting the attempts to efface our culture and the great souls who sacrificed their everything to preserve our identity. Our school textbooks still carry the concocted British narrative about the arrival of Aryans from Europe, while drilling into our heads, the three battles of Panipat, the battle of Plassey, Buxar, the failed 1857 War of independence and Jallianwala, to portray us as losers. One of the greatest lies perpetrated on the people of India, is the theory that fair skinned Aryans arrived into India from Central Europe and brought with them the culture that we practice today. It has been shown conclusively by scholars and experts from all over the world that the “Aryan Immigration Theory” is only a concoction of the British. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which the British debunked as “myths” are classified as “itihaasaa” in our scriptures. “Iti-haasa” means “as it happened”. The geography described in Valmiki Ramayana and Vyasa’s Mahabharata are consistent with the geography of the subcontinent as we see it today. Yet these great historic texts are not taught in our schools. In 2006, Dr. S. R. Rao of the Archeological Survey of India discovered the remains of Lord Krishna’s Dwarka, under the Arabian sea. Radio carbon dating of some of the artifacts goes back to 9000BCE. Although there is considerable debate about the dates, all evidence, geographical, archeological, climatological, astronomical, and geological, point to the historicity of the events described in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
The Cholla Empire
Our textbooks in India focus on the history of Delhi. But the history of Delhi is not the only history of India. One of the greatest and most powerful empires in South India, the Chola empire (under Raja Raja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola) “conquered" most of SE Asia between 977-1034 AD. I put conquered in quotes since they didn't subjugate their subjects. The newer territories were just subordinates who had to acknowledge Chola suzerainty and probably had to pay homage and taxes. The citizens of the empire in the newer territories were not held in 10
fear. They loved and held the emperor in awe and respect (this can be seen in some of the inscriptions and writings from that period in SE Asia). Future empires in those areas such as the Malacca empire even claimed to be Cholan descendants to bring in legitimacy and reflected glory. The “loser” narrative of our history over emphasizes the fact that Mahmud of Ghazni invaded and plundered India in 1025 AD. But did you know that Mahmud of Ghazni’s nephew, Salar Masud Ghazni, also invaded Brihadeshwara Temple, built by India with an army of more than 100,000 men in May the Chola dynasty 1031 AD? This time, the army was not a raiding party like that of Mahmud Ghazni but came with the intention of permanent conquest in India. After victories across North Indian plains, Masud Ghazni settled at Bahraich near Lucknow and stayed up to mid 1033AD. Meanwhile, seventeen kings of North India forged an alliance headed by Raja Sukhdev. In June 1033AD, as per Hindu traditions, Masud Ghazni was intimated by the Rajput alliance that the land belonged to Rajputs and Hindus and Masud should evacuate these lands. Masud replied that all land belongs to “Khuda” and hence he would not retreat. On the morning of June 13, 1033AD, the Rajput army of about 120,000 descended on the Ghazni camp of Bahraich. Masud's army was completely besieged and encircled. The location of this battle to be precise was near Chittaura Jheel, a lake about 8 km away from modern Bahraich on Bahraich-Gond Road. The battle ended in the evening of June 14, 1033AD with the victory of Raja Sukhdev and his Rajput alliance. In the end, each and every man in Masud's camp was killed. There were no prisoners taken and no mercy was shown on the Turkic army. The invasion was completely crushed and so resounding was this victory that none of the Turks dared to invade India for 160 years. I had never heard of the Ahom dynasty of Assam till recently. The Ahom Empire maintained its sovereignty for 600 years successfully resisting Mughal expansion in north-east India. Though it came to be called the Ahom kingdom in the colonial and subsequent times, it was largely multiHampi, Karnataka ethnic, with the ethnic Ahom people constituting less than 10% of the population toward the end. How is it that the rest of India does not hear about the glory of this empire? Another glorious empire of South India which lasted three hundred years and for which our textbooks do little justice, is the Vijayanagar Empire which was based in present day Karnataka on the banks of the Tungabhadra 11
River. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts by the southern powers to ward off Islamic invasions by the end of the 13th century. It lasted until 1646, although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 in the Battle of Talikota by the combined armies of the Deccan Sultanates. This defeat would not have happened but for the treachery of two muslim generals (Gilani brothers) who suddenly changed sides and beheaded the Vijayanagar king Aliya Ramaraya on the battlefield. The empire is named after its capital city of Vijayanagar whose ruins surround present day Hampi now a World Heritage Site in Karnataka. Abdur Razzaq was a The Vijayanagar empire Persian ambassador to the Zamorin of Calicut. Overawed by the size and grandeur of Vijayanagar he wrote In April 1443, “The city is such that eye has not seen, nor the ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth. It is so built that it has seven fortified walls, one within the other.” Domingo Paes was a Portuguese traveler who visited Vijayanagar during the reign of its greatest ruler Krishnadeva Raya in 1520. Paes saw the glory of Vijayanagar and has written what he saw, without relating legends, fables, stories, etc. He provides an eyewitness account to the reign of Krishnadeva Raya. Paes found the city of Vijayanagar to be “as large as Rome, and very beautiful to sight.” “This is the best provided city in the world…," he wrote. The British narrative of our history conveniently fails to mention that for seventy years between the Mughal and British rule, the largest empire to rule India was the Maratha Empire which was bigger than that of Akbar. The Marathas became prominent in the seventeenth century under the leadership of Shivaji who revolted against the Adil Shahi dynasty and the Mughal Empire and carved out a kingdom with Raigad in Maharashtra as his capital.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Shivaji’s son Sambhaji successfully defeated the Portuguese in 1680s.The empire at its peak stretched from Tamil Nadu in the South, to Peshawar (in Pakistan) in the North, and Bengal in the East. In 1775AD, the East India Company intervened in a Peshwa family succession struggle in Pune, which led to
Raigad Fort in Maharashtra, built by Shivaji 12
the first Anglo-Maratha war resulting in a Maratha victory. The Marathas remained the preeminent power in India until 1818. A large portion of the Maratha empire was coastline, which had been secured by the potent Maratha navy under commanders such as Kanhoji Angre. He was very successful at keeping Portuguese and British naval ships at bay. A hero who fails to find mention in our textbooks is Marthanda Varma, who was ruler of the southern Indian state of Travancore from 1729AD to 1758AD. He is most celebrated for crushing the expansionist designs of the Dutch. In the Battle of Colachel, on August 10, 1741, Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch East India Company. The defeat of the Dutch by Travancore is considered the earliest example of an organized power from Asia overcoming European military technology and tactics. It was such a crushing defeat that the Dutch never recovered and no longer posed a large colonial threat to India. Let us come to the present time. Recently, a World Bank report said that Indian economy has now become world's Raja Marthanda Varma sixth-biggest pushing France to seventh place. The US leads the table followed by China, Japan, Germany and Britain. In 1970 Japan rose as an economic power. Alarm bells rang in Europe and the US. How could an Asian country which followed Buddhism become prosperous especially when socialist thinkers like Max Weber who had never visited Asia condemned Hinduism and Buddhism to poverty? Then in 1983, Paul Bairoch, a Belgian economic historian came out with astounding findings in a study of the economic history of the world. He announced that the biggest industrialized nations of the world in 1700AD were India and China with 25% and 22% share of world GDP respectively and Asia had total share of 74% of world GDP. Europe’s share in the world GDP was a mere 7%. These findings shook the Western world. The thought that India was poor was wrong. Indians enjoyed a very high standard of living. In 2007, Angus Maddison one of the greatest economic historians of the world came out with his greatest research in a book “OECD India developmental study center-the world economy, a millennial perspective”. At the start of the first millennium in 1AD, the share of India in world GDP was 32% and that of China 33%. In 1500 AD, India’s share was 24% and China 25%. In 1700AD India was 25% China 22%. In 1850 India’s share had reduced to 18% by which time the East India Company had commenced the plunder and destruction of India. At the dawn of independence in 1947, our GDP was less than 0.5% of world GDP. Angus Maddison’s research established that the rise of the West was a story of plunder of India, the wealthiest country of the world. India was the leading economic engine of the world for 1800 years. The greatest quality of India was that it dominated the minds of the Chinese for two thousand years without sending one soldier or priest across its borders. It is the Chinese who sent their scholars and took Buddhism from India to their land.
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted India to grow at 7.4 per cent in 2018 and 7.8 per cent in 2019. The IMF, has also predicted that world's economy would grow at only 3.9 per cent over the next year. Thus, it is only a matter of time when India will overtake Britain to become the fifth largest economy in the world. And to bounce back from a state of abject impoverishment in 1947, is, in the words of William Dalrymple, a Scottish author of a book titled “The Anarchy,” a case of the “empire striking back to regain its preeminent economic position”.
Author’s Portrait
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Food and Festivals – A Cultural Perspective by Babu Raman (Invited Contribution) India is always referred to as a land of rich cultural heritage, where traditions are passed from generation to generation. What we are celebrating today is not a recent act of faith, but it’s our forefathers who have shaped so many things for us; which is playing a big, rich and happy part in our existence today. Here I am talking about the various festivals and the features associated with these festivals. Let me try to discuss a few celebrations and the delicacies that come with them.
Holi Let me start with Holi... the festival of colors... which is a spring festival celebrated throughout India on the day of Dola Purnima or the full moon day in the month of Phalguna. People throw and smear color on each other and celebrate. Foods that are associated with celebrating Holi is Karanji and Malpua. Karanji is a crescent shaped pocket made of flour and the sweet stuffing is made from Khoya and Nuts. Malpua is kind of a pancake made from wheat flour and soaked in sugar syrup.
Pongal or Makar Sankranti In the southern part of the country Pongal is celebrated, where as in the Northern part Sankranti is celebrated at the same time, which is around the second week of January. This is a major harvest festival. The food associated with this celebration is also called Pongal, prepared from the first rice harvested that season, cooked together with jaggery, nuts, raisins and spices. Another important part being Laddoos that are round shaped yummy sweet balls made with flour, ghee and sugar. 15
Ganesh Chaturthi A famous festival celebrated all over the country but with special fervor in Maharashtra in honor of the most popular elephant headed God, Ganesha. Treated as the premier of all Gods, all auspicious and important activities begin with worship to this deity. This festival is celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada starting on the fourth day of reducing moon. Huge idols of Ganesha are installed and worshipped in households and pandals outside. Food associated with this festival is the very famous Modak and Puranpoli Modak is the most favorite sweet of Lord Ganesha. The sweet filling on the inside of a modak consists of freshly grated coconut and jaggery while the outer soft shell is made from rice flour or wheat flour mixed with khava and maida flour. Puran Poli is a sweetbread made from maida with a filling that includes chana dal, jaggery, cardamom powder and lots of ghee.
Diwali Popularly known as the ‘Festival of Lights’, this is a very popular festival celebrated all over the country and in different parts of the world where Indian forefathers have settled for generations. This festival of lights symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Every edifice, be it a home, a business, or an office, are all brightly illuminated with lights and wicker lamps. Sweets like Gulab Jamun, Jalebi and Ras Malai, along with nuts and dry fruits rule the roost during this festival.
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Durga Puja Also referred to as Durgotsav, very reverently celebrated in West Bengal and in South India, and celebrated in other parts of the country, this is when Goddess Durga is worshipped whole heartedly. This festival is a dream come true for foodies. There is really a myriad of lip-smacking dishes that are prepared for this celebration. Bengal sweets which melt in your mouth are just the icing on the cake. Sandesh is prepared with milk, sugar and cheese, garnished with pistachio. A bunch of other sweets form a part of this celebration.
Dussehra, the culmination of the Navratri of Durga puja, is also celebrated in a lot of places with special pomp and ceremony. This is when Goddess Durga is given the final offerings and the worshippers bid adieu to the Mother Goddess. People fast and then prepare a special food known as Sabudana Khichdi. This is tapioca pearls cooked in a tasteful way laced with chilies, peanuts and curry leaves.
Following are a few pictures to give an idea of the food prepared for celebrating a couple of festivals... 17
Bihu
Vishu
Our land is a land of festivals and celebrations. There are hundreds of other big and small festivals about which I can go on and on… and the foods associated with their celebration, the intricacies of their preparations and its connectivity is limitless. It’s a never-ending process. Let’s keep celebrating life and all these festivities with food, which add value to our existence and make it rich and enjoyable.
Author’s Portrait
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Significance of the Nine Colors for Navratri by Tanusree Chakraborty The nine-day long festival is dedicated to worship of the nine different forms of Devi Durga as described in the previous page. Each form of Mata Rani (Mother Goddess or Devi Durga) signifies unique and diverse qualities and hence is decorated in nine different and unique colors – one for each day of worship. This article highlights the significance of the nine shades in celebrating Navratri. First Day (Red) The first day of this auspicious festival called Navratri is known as “Pratipada”. On the very first day, Devi Durga is worshipped as “Shailaputri”. The energetic red color red for this day depicts strength and accomplishment. Second Day (Royal Blue) On the second day of Navratri (“Dwitiya”), Devi Durga is worshipped as “Brahmacharini”. The peacock blue color for this day depicts serenity yet robust energy. Third Day (Yellow) On the third day (“Tritiya”), Devi Durga is worshipped as “Chandraghanta”. Yellow color for this day is vivacious and livens up everyone’s temperament. Fourth Day (Green) On the fourth day (“Chaturthi”), Devi Durga is worshipped as “Kushmanda”. Green color has chosen for this day signifies creativity. Fifth Day (Grey) On the fifth day (“Panchami”), Devi Durga is worshipped as “Skanda Mata”. The grey color chosen for this day signifies a vulnerable mother who can become a storm cloud to defend her baby. Sixth Day (Orange) On the sixth day (“Shasthi”), Devi Durga is worshipped as “Kathyayani”. Orange color chosen for this day depicts bravery. Seventh Day (White) On the seventh day (“Saptami”) of Navratri, Devi Durga is worshipped as “Kaalaratri”. White color chosen for this day depicts prayer and peace. Eighth Day (Pink) On the eigth day of Navratri (“Ashtami”), Devi Durga is worshipped as “Maha Gauri”. The pink color portrays confidence and a new start. Ninth Day (Light Blue) On the ninth day of Navratri (“Navami”), Devi Durga is worshipped as “Siddhidhatri”. Sky blue color depicts nature’s beauty. So, it is time to set your wardrobes ready with the right colors for Navaratri!! 21
Portrait by Sharmistha Bhattacharya Growing up I always wanted to get my portrait done by an artist. Finally, last year when I went to Paris, while taking an evening stroll after dinner, it caught my attention over the bridge that there were a couple of ladies getting their portraits done by some local artists. I thought myself this is it, this is the moment I have been waiting for. I mustered up my courage and went up to one artist, he enthusiastically told me in his French accent to take a seat. Little hesitant at first, I hopped onto the stool. The artist started with his brush strokes. I was on the stool facing the sunset; a lot of thoughts were bubbling in me. Maybe I should have done it 20 years ago when I was young and beautiful when I had no visible wrinkles on my face. Seeing me being fidgety the artist told me to hold still in his broken English. the last few rays of setting sun were reflecting on my eyes while the artist was busy mixing up different shades of colors in his palate. I couldn't wait to see my portrait and kept wondering how it's going to turn out. In a little while, the artist handed me the final product‌ my portrait. It was so real, lively and something more. The detailed work on my face was phenomenal. My hair, my features, my dress, were vibrant, and all you need is to wave a magic wand and the portrait will come alive. I asked the artist how you can paint such a realistic portrait as if you know me forever, he took a pause and replied.... may be from the last life.
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Durgapuja‌. From Nostalgia to Samhita by Paramita Saha (Social Media Contribution) It is dark outside. There is a perpetual presence of white noise created collectively by the myriads of simultaneous conversations of all the passengers, together with the telltale sound of the motion of the train. Though I don't want to listen to anything being said all around me, a few snippets of conversations sneak past my earnest efforts to keep them at bay. The tirelessly ticking hands of my watch are interspersed by the whistles of the train which essentially inform everyone that the next railway station is arriving. I can now feel the train making a wide turn along with the tracks. By now I am giddy with anticipation; there is a sweet ache within my heart solely because I am going to be home soon. With bated breath I look through the window to catch the first glimpse of the aura of light of my hometown that emerges from the stark darkness of the forest through which the train travels at night. Gradually that faint light turns brighter, and I start to recognize the familiar landmarks. Almost nothing in this world can overshadow that giddy feeling which comes from the knowledge that I will get to see my Maa in a matter of minutes... Now, that's a scenario which has played itself innumerable times throughout the years when I came back home from the hostel during my school, college and university days. Invariably, that sprightly feeling has never ever lessened despite the countless recurrences of the scenario. But it certainly intensified every year right before Durga Pujo. During that special time of the year, as I disembarked the train and headed towards home, we would go right past the Pujo Mondop that we lovingly claimed as ours. Seeing that Mondop being built, has always put a smile on my face that was impossible to wipe off. Inevitably, that gaiety continued for days to come... Since that was an integral part of the onset of the Pujo season for more than a decade back in India, I can never think of Pujo and not remember that --- hence the special mention in this exposition. After I moved to this country, Pujo always brings forth a colossal dose of nostalgia to my doorstep. Fast forward to the present, and Durga Pujo has blossomed to become a profusely wholesome experience for me. I feel blessed and privileged to have been involved right from when the Samhita family was born. It's a beautiful journey that we all have started together, and we are so happy to be able to include more and more new friends to our beloved Samhita family. My husband Binoy Saha and an erstwhile member brought the deities from Los Angeles. Fortunately, we had the 23
deities in our home for the first couple of years. During those initial months, every evening Binoy, sometimes accompanied by our daughter, used to be busy preparing the deities ---- he repainted them and sewed new outfits for them as well. Weekends were extra special because many of our friends would come over to help in all possible ways. Especially a couple of months prior to Durga Pujo and Saraswati Pujo, multitude of friends came over unfailingly during the weekends to help with the decorations for the upcoming Pujo. That in itself has been a tremendous build up to the Durga Pujo which I had never experienced while in India. It certainly rendered a festive atmosphere to our household. In the run up to the During Pujo while growing up in India, I was only focused on the number of new outfits that my parents would buy and on those I received as gifts from the extended family. Which in turn led to the search and subsequent purchase of coordinating accessories, handbags, footwears, etc. Then came the dilemma of deciding which outfits and accessories, etc. to wear on which Pujo day. Friends, cousins, as well as 'Parar didi-bon ra' played a very important role in this decision-making process. Though all that was of paramount importance to me at that time, I do realize that they seem quite petty now. Thanks to Samhita, Pujo has taken up a whole new meaning for me. It has opened my mind's eye. It has made me realize that I was, and still am, so ignorant of all the things we must consider to successfully celebrate Durga Pujo in such a grand scale. After all's said and done, Durga Pujo certainly is a very fulfilling albeit complex endeavor. When I see our kids getting so excited about Durga Pujo as well as Saraswati Pujo, I am convinced that it is a worthwhile venture that we all have taken upon ourselves--- to create time in our busy lives and build a metaphorical bridge to our roots through which our children will be able to sneak a peek at our rich cultural heritage. Make no mistake, Samhita is spreading its numerous 'arms', just like Dashobhuja Maa Durga, in many different aspects of life--- giving back to the community, here in the US as well as back in India. In spite of all those various undertakings, for me personally, these days Durga Pujo has somehow become synonymous with Samhita. In this neck of the woods, so far away from our motherland, Samhita has helped all of us forge a bond amongst ourselves, which I hope will stand the test of time. From the very beginning, Samhita has been silently enriching all our lives and we, in turn, should ensure that Samhita flourishes by our individual as well as collective assistance and contributions. 24
My first visit to Sedona by Sharmistha Bhattacharya First time I visited Sedona it felt like the most beautiful place on the earth. Sedona is called the red rock country and it sure does stand up to its name. The entire city of Sedona and its surroundings are adorned by the red and orange colors of the mountains. Some of the hills have orange color at the bottom and beige at the top. Others like the Bell rock is deep red in color and earned the name for its shape. It is standing proudly holding its head high up in the middle of the red rock country. Cathedral rock carries its own beauty and individuality, with its mixture of beige, orange and red colors, foothills covered by green desert bushes, and each fold on the rocks meticulously carved by mother nature herself. From a distance, the green bushes on the foothills look like the green sponge paintings on the orange hills. I noticed two giant hole formation on the mountain wall, seemed like King Kong had punched massive dents on them. With time, so many unknown prints have been engraved on these rocks, such that only a master artist’s brush strokes can be compared with the natures brushless creations.
Another aspect of Sedona is its tranquility. The atmosphere of the place embraced me with its serenity and peacefulness. the silence of nature speaks its own language in this part of the world. Everywhere I look I see the scenic wilderness which is wrapping me up like a blanket. The abundance of nature and its beauty awes me. the magnificent colorful rock formation in the middle of Arizona speaks the story of its rugged beauty.
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Samhita Puja by Deepshikha Ghosh Nandy Siuli phul khelche hawaye Ma er abar ashbar pala Dhak kansor er sunlam dhwani Ma er hobe agomoni Sob chutey elo ghor e baire Chari dike shonkhodhwani Devi pakhya chole elo ebar Ma er hobe agomoni Shasti te notun kapor choyabo Dhuno r gondho mondop e choralo Saptami te ma r kache di anjali Ma shobai r jebon e koruk alo Sandhi pujor 108 prodeep r alo te Ma k dekhi ma kali roop e 108 poddophul chorai tomake Ma rekho shobai ke sukhe Navami te tumi kanya rupe Sringar sindur choralam du hath bhore Dashami te hobe sindurkhela Aabar ashbe ma bochor ghure Desh e pujor shei anondo Khuje pelam eto dure abar Shobai mile korbo ma tomar pujo Samhita r ghor e esho abar... 26
Melted Crayon Art by Sutrishna Mullick Dutta
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Artwork by Angikar Sarkar
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Samhita Kids
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Artwork by Saisha Ray (Age: 4.5 yrs)
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Artwork by Anaya Bhattacharya (Age: 4 yrs)
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Artwork by Prokriti Saha Titled: A Dolphin
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Artwork by Saisha Ray
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Artwork by Anaya Bhattacharya
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Artwork by Saisha Ray
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Acknowledgements Sanskriti 2018 Magazine Credits Editor: Partha Chakraborty Creative Advisor: Tanusree Chakraborty Front Cover Art: Angikar Sarkar Front Cover Design: Tanusree Chakraborty Back Cover Design: Partha Chakraborty Compilation of Designs and Motifs: Tanusree Chakraborty Online Advertising: Anirban Bhattacharya Social Media Coordinator: Debarati Chakraborty Banerjee Formatting Assistance: Rakesh and Renu Anand Special Assistance: Esha Bhattacharya
Disclaimer: All opinions, contents or information provided in the magazine are sole responsibility of the authors; Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona is not liable for the content and does not intend to cause any offense or harm to anyone. Online materials collected and compiled in the form of motifs and designs are solely intended for information to readers.
For more information about Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona and this magazine, please refer to the following resources: Website: http://www.azsamhita.org Email: info@azsamhita.org
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