Project: Culture and Community

Festival: Durga Pooja

Durga Pooja is a major festival which every Bengali's wait for, all year long. This festival is celebrated on a larger scale in West Bengal. Being a Bengali raised in Delhi, I really wanted to put light on the 'not so famous' point of view of Durga pooja. While talking to my family and relatives I couldn't help but realize how the same festival is celebrated in such different ways in West Bengal and Delhi.

Delhi has a totally different vibe when it comes to Durga Pooja. The smaller artisans are given a chance to work here and even stay during the festival added with an alternative income.

The idol submersion ceremony causes a lot of water pollution. In Delhi, recently an eco- friendly alternative of idol submersion was mandated to counter this issue. A huge hole is dug and water is filled , all the ornaments are removed and the idol is submerged and the land is covered. Its kept like that for a few weeks until it mixes with the land making it a biodegradable and nature friendly festival.

Unlike Kolkata, where there are 2 types of pandals : 1-where you only visit the idols and 2-where you get to have food stalls; in Delhi its a mixture of both with an added bonus of food stalls being available all day long. Bhog, that is, the blessed food, is also given to everybody.

The festival is filled with colors beauty and cheerful people celebrating all day long. As a Kolkata person would say, the actual pooja starts at night which is not the same in Delhi. Here the pandals are closed off by midnight. Its fascinating to see how Durga pooja is not only celebrated and enjoyed by Bengali's but, each and everyone outside the community as well.

The decoration of the pandals are the major attraction here which costs a fortune and requires a lot of creativity. Every year you see something new and there are competitions as well of which pandal was the best. Even the security staff, the management staff, the small stalls (that are set us for food and toys and what not) profit a lot from this festival. Overall from a Delhiite Bengali's point of view, I can say that not only is this festival fun and enjoyable for all it also sustains a lot of families and serves food to the starving. Its a form of wellbeing and livelihood for a lot of people.

Why Is It Celebrated? What Is The Significance Of The Festival?

Custom is symbolic of the departure of the deity to her home and to her husband
All gods gave their parts and powers and combined it to create goddess Durga
Marks the victory of Good over Evil
Mahishasura could only be killed by a female
Victory of the goddess Durga over the demon king Mahishasura
A nine-night festival celebrating the divine feminine.
Every year Goddess Durga blesses us with her visit of 9 days and while leaving or as we call it in Bengali 'bhashaan' she leaves with the idea of coming back again next year which we celebrate by chanting 'aashchay boshor aabar hobay' meaning we will be blessed with her presence again next year.
Mahalaya is the day when the goddess Durga is believed to have descended to Earth
Positive energy
Celebration
Feminine Energy
Mother of Goddess
Protector of Righteousness
Freedom
The idol of Goddess Durga is submerged in water marking her departure
as this festival is the most important festival in the Bengali's community the common dressing is red and white sari for ladies as red and white sarees are considered very auspicious. This is a common dressing on Dashami where married ladies have 'sheedur khala' which is a mini Holi with Sindur.

Day 1

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Reflective Writing-1

'Culture' according to me, is the essence of an individual showcasing the value system they have; It also gives people a sense of belongingness. Through todays task we got a deep understanding of our own culture and festivals. We analyzed several parts of our chosen festival which made us understand it from a different perspective. For my festival; Durga pooja I realized how there are so many unsaid rules that are followed and the meaning behind it. After researching about the 'why' behind these rules I realized that a lot of the things that were done had a meaning beyond just the material component. The biggest example the explain the non material component would be the red and white sari, its a common item of clothing during Durga pooja not only because its visually appealing but because it is considered to be auspicious and a way to portray enjoyment and celebration. The artisans who are responsible for making the idol and decorating the pandals also have this opportunity to not only gain few extra income but a way to portray their creativity. On the other hand the food stalls that are greatly available during the pooja is mostly for their extra income and economic reasons. The materials used to make the idol as well as the dhaak would be considered into the material component of the festival. Both the concept of material and non material are interrelated. The material component of the festival leads to the non material components; the dhunuchi naach that takes place is not only a portrayal of celebration but the smoke is a good way to keep mosquitos away. Another example would be that the materials used to decorate the pandals and idol and the food stalls are all the material components but the reason behind all of these are considered to be non material. we can also say that the material components give way to non material components and are interdependent on each other.

DAY 2

PRE TASK

Object: Body Lotion

Body lotion is one object we use in our day to day life. This project about culture, sparked my interest in knowing how body lotion in different culture is very different from each other. Not only the appearance but also the fragrance, consistency, packaging and more. I thought of this as the perfect opportunity to explore these questions.

Reflective Writting-2

After mapping out the 5W1H revolving around the chosen object, I had gotten a sense of clarity on, how even when we belong to the same family our perception of the same object varies. For me, I focused more on the components and ingredients of the object as well as the properties whereas for my grandmother's major concern was the moisturizing property of the object

Due to the generation gap the way we perceive the object is very different. During her time, using oil was the norm because it did the bare minimum of moisturizing whereas nowadays it is beyond that; its about the consistency, ingredients, fragrance, long lasting, SPF, etc. For my grandmother therefore even after so many years the idea that as long as it is doing the bare minimum of moisturizing it is a good product. In todays generation along with the previously mentioned characteristics, even the brand that is bought sets a standard in society. The object can even signify a kind of status.

In my grandmothers generation the non materialistic belief that putting oil is beneficial for the skin was their driving force for using moisturizer whereas in our generation it is more about the materialistic components being the fragrance, the brand, the color, etc.

We learnt about 2 new concepts: Material Non-material and Text-Subtext-Context. Both of them have their own individual objectives and give us a different understanding of the question at hand. In material and Non-material component we learn to distinguish between physical things people create and attach meaning to (eg: Body lotion) and creations and abstract ideas that are not embodied in physical objects(eg: feeling of confidence after using body lotion).

The Text-Subtext-Context component focuses on dividing the information into 3 categories: Text is the immediate understanding after looking at a certain object, Context is the surrounding or the situation in which the text is used and the Subtext talks about the beliefs, feelings, values or norms surrounding that object.

Both the concepts are somewhere interlinked. Just like material component, even the text and context talk about the physicality of the object or situation, on the other hand the non material and the subtext talk around the non-physical aspect.

These instruments make it easier the segregate the information and give multiple understanding to the same. They also help us understand the meaning behind certain actions and even the consequences. After dividing the information in either of the instruments, it is easier to focus on a part of the whole ,which intern helps give a deeper understanding of the situation.

Day 3

What-Where-Why-When-Who/Whom-How

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Received Feedback

Given Feedback

Day 4

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Reflective Writing-3

A community comprises of different value systems, norms and beliefs. These beliefs are what forms the culture of that particular community. In certain communities language, clothing, the food they eat, and the norms they follow makes them feel a sense of belongingness to thei community. India being the best example for this multicultural diversity where people all over have various languages, food, clothing's and culture. Eg: In Tamil Nadu's Idli and Dosa is a common cuisine and wearing traditional outfit is part of the norm whereas in Rajasthan dal baati churma is the ideal cuisine and lehenga is a common clothing. Coming to the place where I belong to; Delhi, where there is a mixture of almost all culture, Delhi has now formed its own culture and norms. There is diversity in clothing food as well as language and everybody respects all of the co-existing cultures keeping the essence of their own. Moving to the mountain region, the houses there have pointed roof because of the geographical needs whereas in north east the houses have drainage systems to reuse rain water due to excess rainfall. Each state of India has its own art from, dance form and folk songs and in metro cities there is a large influx of western music and EDMs. The idea of relaxing for a person living in a city is to go to a hilly area or countryside whereas a person living in a hilly area would have an ideas vacation in a rainforest. Its clearly evident that all of these factors form the cultural of all the individual states. The people adapt according to the acceptable social needs which eventually becomes the culture of that place or community. These further form the concept of beauty in those communities. In a south community the concept of beauty can be saari with flower in the hair whereas in the north can be jeans and top. In the indigenous community assigned to me, that is the Tuareg community, the ideal concept of beauty, with respect to clothing, was loose fitted clothes or flowy gown's called bubus with silver jewelry for women and blue head wrap or sometimes even sunglasses for men. Their reason for this particular set of clothing is affected by the climatic conditions and some beliefs that they follow (warding off evil spirits). The context of beauty is set/fixed whereas the concept of beauty varies with the changing people and whether or not they want to carry forward these ideals. These communities have followed their ideals of beauty whereas our community has decided to change; the Tuareg community is a nomadic community hence they built tents as houses whereas in our community we live in well structured settlement.

Day 5

Reflective Writing-4

We have previously addressed the ideal concept of beauty but never have we questioned how or why it is they way it is and how do they come into existence. In our community new norms are forming and people are understanding and exploring new beliefs and I feel that this has happened because somebody questioned the pre-conceived notion of the society and challenged it and all the like minded formed a sub group in the larger group. For this sub group they made their own value system which other started to follow due to either social media influence, globalization and when more and more people start following it then it becomes a belief and eventually a norm. I think that our concept of beauty is constantly evolving whereas the community I read about; Tuareg Community have a preserved concept of beauty. In our culture when we go for trekking or camping we also follow the tent system of settlement which is followed by the indigenous community as well. Due to exposure some smaller groups from the Tuareg community is now indulging in fashionable clothing and have started using the mobile phones which is common in our community. Tuareg community follows a different pattern of clothing as compared to us; they wear Bubus which is flowy gowns with head wrap whereas in our community its mostly dressed, shorts, jeans, shirts, etc. that is event specific. Our way of celebrating festivals is also different yet similar where we focus mainly of loud music and a lot of food stalls and make up and dresses whereas they gather in their own group and have animals and dance performances, music, etc

Day 6

Communities I Belong To

Material And Non-Material Component

Text-Context-Subtext

Insights Drawn From Mapping

These Norms and beliefs are formed through indulging in different situations.
Food is a vital component in my identity.
Respect every individual, their opinion and space.
Respecting each belief is vital regardless of my own.
Healthy Living is important.

FINAL REFLECTIVE WRITTING

The very thing that makes me myself rather than anyone else is the very fact that I am poised between different states, different language, and a combination of cultures and traditions. It is precisely this that defines my identity. Would I exist more authentically if I cut off a part of myself.

Every community influence an aspect of my life in one way or another. All of them combined makes me the individual I am today. I recently involved myself into fitness and I have made it a part of my daily regiment to wake up early and do yoga and work out. It has impacted my life hugely as it boosts my energy and makes me ready for the day ahead. Not only does that end there but, it makes me more relaxed and mindful and gives me a peace of mind. Another greatly talked about hobby of mine is playing the instruments. My keen interest in learning the instrument not only gives me a sense of happiness and calm but also teaches me discipline and patience. It is one of the reasons why I have learned to keep trying hard to achieve my desired outcome. Apart from these one major aspect of my individuality comes from my friend circle who have been by my side since I was a small child, their constant support has made me a more optimistic person and help me get through anything with them by my side.

It is believed that people get involved in fitness to just focus on the external health. While that might partially be true, I do not support this belief. I believe that yoga/ exercise has more mental affects than physical ones. You learn patience, as it is a long process to get the desired results and a lot of hard work and self-control. Apart from that, yoga, to be more specific, targets an individual’s mind and gives a relaxing and peaceful feeling. You do not have to go to the gym or attend classes to get the benefits of these activities, it is the individuals will power which matters. Yoga/exercise improves sleep, increases appetite, has a calming effect, gives a sense of joy and satisfaction. Justifiably many people initially start indulging in them to get the physical outcome but gradually see the change it does to their lifestyle. It becomes a habit which is a mandatory part of one’s everyday life.

During my 14 years of schooling I heard the same thing repeatedly about how marks will decide my future and the creative field will not. This is one major conflicting belief between my school community and IIAD community. In school your marks defined you and not your understanding or application of the same concept. At IIAD we get to apply our knowledge and explore our own individuality. There is no set pattern to score 'good marks' where you learn the value point and vomit them on the paper and get the marks, here you understand how the material works or how an object looks and move forward with your own understanding of it, be it right or wrong. We are not punished for making mistakes rather encouraged to do so, if we get a learning from it unlike school where making a mistake was equivalent to a sin. I was hugely involved in creative activities in school but was mostly discouraged to follow through above studies, it was only acceptable to indulge in them when there was some gain out of it. In college it is not the institution or group which is gaining from my interest in creativity but me.

A combination of various smaller communities makes us a part of a greater community of self, where we make our own norms, beliefs and values and reason it through our previous experiences. Hence, it is a lifelong process.

Glossary

Reference list

Flyer on the Material and Non- Material components of culture

Flyer Cover

Flyer Back

UG20065

Fashion Design