These advertisements look like poor validation from a patriarchal society that blatantly asks their women to overexert themselves in all spheres of life and to do it alone. The modern woman handles her home and her office-both of them so skillfully that she probably does have ten hands to deal with all of it. Newspaper advertisements and magazine covers started the trend of portraying regular, ordinary women with ten hands-instead of weapons, these hands hold kitchen utensils but also technological gadgets. Maa Durga successfully becomes a metaphor for the modern women. Maa Durga thus becomes a wonderful dichotomy that the society approves and ascribes to-she fiercely protects us from evil but she also looks after her family with love and care.
Maa Durga thus becomes a wonderful dichotomy that the society approves and ascribes to – she fiercely protects us from evil but she also looks after her family with love and care. Her return is a moment of joyous celebration, her children (Lakshmi, Ganesh, Kartik and Saraswati) adding to it. She represents every married daughter who returns to her parents from her in-law’s house and she comes with her children. On the other hand, Durga is also a nurturer, a caregiver-she is the symbol of homeliness and family. The very name “ Durga” has come to symbolize power, strength, bravery-all things the society admits women today need for their struggle while none of them are willing to make the changes required to break the unfair structure. Just like the Goddess Durga defeated the demon king Mahishashur is not just an inspiration but also a metaphor. In present day, the collective consciousness around Durga Puja, partly fuelled by the advertisement industry and the media is one of progress, development and most importantly, empowerment of women. Over the years, this particular Puja has gained social, cultural and lately, political currency to such an extent that it is now a full-fledged festival-starting right from Mahalaya till Doshomi or the 10 th day of the Puja when the idols are finally immersed in water. There is a reason why Durga Puja is no longer just a ‘ Puja‘-a long saga of tradition and ritual strictly religious in nature. The actual condition, however, does not change even amidst the lights and the sound of ‘dhaak’. Every year, the 4-5 days of Durga Puja in West Bengal come with its own promise of celebrating a female goddess-and by extension, all the women around us.
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