Joy on the Ichhamati

This Dussehra, I was at the India Bangladesh border, on the banks of the river Ichhamati, which acts as a natural border between the two countries. Dussehra or Bijoyadashmi as the festival is called here, is the last day of Durga Puja in Bengal, when the idols of the goddess are immersed. It's a day of poigancy - a moment of separation for the goddess and her devotees. However on the banks of the Ichhamati, the ocassion becomes one of celebration and cross border revelry, with boats dotting every inch of the river, gifts being thrown by people on either side of the border and an air of frenzied excitement everywhere. Just goes to show, I guess, that festivals can be all the more enjoyable, if borders disappear.

Click here to read how Bijoyadashmi is celebrated on the Indo Bangla border.