Punya Mati (Sacred Clay)

He is a Brahmin, a devotee of goddess Durga since his childhood. He belongs to a family where all males are priests and females are highly religious minded. After being trained as a professional temple priest he comes to Kolkata and stays in the Kalighat area near the world-famous Kali temple. In the city, his fame is widespread as the perfect mantra chanter and so he is booked months earlier from affluent Bengali families to perform the Durga puja ritual at their residents. He is much disciplined, very systematic, and a perfectionist. When he sits in front of Durga idol he slips into a meditative state and after almost an hour regains consciousness about his present surrounding. He is often seen as a replica of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa because of his spirituality.  

When he chant Durga mantras - “Ya devi sarva bhuteshu, shanti rupena sangsthitaYa devi sarva bhuteshu, shakti rupena sangsthitaYa devi sarva bhuteshu, matri rupena sangsthitaYaa devi sarva bhuteshu, buddhi rupena sangsthitaNamastasyai, namastasyai, namastasyai, namo namaha’ in morning while worshipping the Goddess, the devotees present in the temple get goosebumps. His heart is pure having no grudges against anybody, no complaint from life, no jealousy, and no lust. 

During Sharadiya Durga puja he is the happiest soul as he enables others to get connected with the deity. To witness his sandhya aarti a throng of worshippers surround him. He waits the whole year for a grand celebration of Durgotsav. He happily performs all the rituals wholeheartedly except visiting the doorstep of a brothel to perform this unavoidable ritual of begging for some mud for the making of the Durga idol. Though he has never expressed his discomfort to anyone but entering the forbidden area -a prostitute’s land or Nishiddho Pallis seems to suck all his chastity. 

What if not an irony! The toughest moment of his life which he dislikes from the deepest core of his heart is the most desirable one for the women of the red light area as they feel blessed having his presence at their locality. They wish him to stay longer and purposely deny him to collect clay. He keeps on begging, and they continuously reject the plead. He chants Vedic mantra while asking for 'Punya mati' or the sacred clay. They are well aware of the fact that the godly presence of that purest soul in their life is only for once a year in Sharadotsava. They are not allowed to enter temples and so they desire him to purify their souls by pouring into their ears holy mantras. 

On the day of his arrival, they wear red border white saree and fill vermilion in the middle part of the hair; a big red vermilion bindi on forehead and auspicious golden jewellery on their body parts make them in true sense recipients of the divine energy rendered by the mantras. They have a deep belief that listening to the holy Brahmin pandit will ward off all the evil eyes and they will prosper and remain blessed all the year.

It is a scripture in Vedas to pay respect compulsorily to women who are dancer or actress, a prostitute, sudra and milkmaid during Durga puja. He has no issues with any other class. All the offerings given by the devotees in five days of Durgotsav, he distributes on the final day among these classes. He doesn’t understand the significance of sex workers in Indian society. In India which is a land of god and goddesses why such a lustful, sinful source of income is flourishing day by day? He worships the mightiest form of feminism Devi Durga and thus feels disgusting when spending a maximum of twenty minutes with the forbidden woman class. 

One morning at 4 am his door is knocked on nonstop. He has just freshened up and heated water to take his bath. The sudden bang on the door startles him. He opens it and finds a lady with a few months old unconscious children wrapped in her cotton saree anchal. She is full of tears and very worried about the health of her son. He has knowledge of ayurvedic medicines and so can cure illness. He at once reads the baby’s pulse, puts some healing potion into his mouth, and instructs the lady how to take care of the child at home. The lady is now relaxed as the infant is showing positive improvement after having the first dose of medicine. He hands her over a few more doses and calls her after a week if the child feels uneasiness. She pays him fee, thanks to him, and leaves the place.

After a week at that earliest hour of a day, she again appears with her son for a check-up. This time she has brought a basket full of white and orange colored shiuli or parijat flowers. He is glad to receive it and plans to sew them in garland to offer to the deity. He examines the child and declares he is out of danger. He with curiosity asks, “Why do you come so early in the morning, and why the child’s father doesn’t assist you? Doesn’t he live with you?” She looks at him and replies, “My son has me only as both the parents. I am strong enough to take care of him without any male companion. I have given birth to him and gladly accept all the parental responsibilities. I will raise him single-handedly.”  

A thought arises in his mind, “Oh! She must be a widow or a deserted wife.” He keeps quiet as he doesn’t want to spoil brahma muhurt in stretching conversation with her. She pays him a fee and before leaving utters, “I can’t come in broad daylight and in the evening too. I am not allowed to roam freely the entire day and in evening onwards I entertain my clients. Further, I don’t know who is the father of my son as people who visit us never reveal their real identity.” She folds hands in reverence and leaves the premise. 

He finds himself speechless, motionless, and thoughtless. If the lady had not divulged the secret of her identity, he would never know that he was interacting with a courtesan. How foolish he has been for so many years! His hatred for this class is only for their profession. It is overlooked by him that they are mothers too. She appears to him as an epitome of motherhood, not as a sensuous woman who with her lustful gestures seduces man folk. She has awakened him spiritually. He bows his head in front of Devi Durga Idol placed in his home temple and pays gratitude to find the importance of Punya maati’. It is an unavoidable element that needs to be incorporated in the Durga Maa idol because in our country motherhood is worshipped as it symbolizes strength, compassion, and peace. He sews harsingar flowers and adorns the idol of Devi Durga with the garland.