As the Navratri celebrations kick in in Kolkata, 32-year-old Sulekha from Bihar is back on stage, performing her annual role as Goddess Durga. For hours on end, she sits motionless on stage, braving the coins and flowers thrown by visitors. But Sulekha looks forward to this “challenge” every year.
“Some people try to make faces to test our patience but we love the challenge of sitting still in front of a gathering,” Sulekha, who has portrayed various deities, including Lakshmi and Saraswati, for over 15 years, said.
During the annual Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, women, often in their thirties, portray the goddess at the ‘Live Durga Utsav’ being organised by the Brahma Kumaris. Decked up as various goddesses by 4 pm, they sit still from 6 pm to 10 pm.
Sulekha, a veteran ‘live Durga’, attributes her ability to maintain a single posture for extended periods to meditation. “I practise meditation for two to three hours daily. It helps me control my mind and stay focused,” she said after a live show at Roy Bagan Centre, Kolkata.
Sulekha recalls an incident where a child kept making faces and tried to distract her while she was portraying Durga. “You need to have different facial expressions for each deity. Durga’s face is a mix of anger, power, and calmness. But when I am in meditation mode, I concentrate on one point and nothing can distract me,” she explained.
Sulekha, who left her native village and settled in West Bengal in 2012, is among the women performers taking part in the ‘Live Durga Utsav’. The women say the role of a ‘live Durga’ is not merely a performance but a spiritual connection between the devotee and the divine.
“Recently, a woman came with folded hands, pleading for forgiveness. She promised to never repeat her mistake and continued to express her remorse. I was deeply moved by her sincerity and realised a profound truth: Visitors see God in us,” she added.
Chandrani Saha, an accountant, is playing Goddess Saraswati this time. “We believe in spirituality and energy. Our purpose is to meditate and pass God’s positive energy to them through blessings. Sometimes, when I feel for someone who is praying for something, I pray to God that their wish may come true,” Saha, who works in Sector V, said.
‘Live Durgas’ are more than just figures on a stage but conduits for divine energy. “Our role is not merely a performance, but a sacred duty to spread positivity,” said Saha, who has been practising meditation daily, which according to her has helped her maintain a still posture at the live events.
“I used to cry every day. But after meditating daily, I feel my mind is in my control. Meditation is food for the mind and is essential for bringing change in life,” she added.
“We even try not to blink. But we can’t control that for long. So we blink, but try to keep it as minimal as possible,” Saha said.
Another ‘live Durga’, Shayani Dutta, who is pursuing her Masters in Public Administration, initially found it difficult to hold a lotus and sit motionless for long periods. However, she has gained the required posture through practice.
“Saraswati has a happy face. The wise will always find a way to smile. So when you are Saraswati, you have to show a happy face yet remain calm,” explained Saha.
Not being able to relieve oneself is a key issue faced by the ‘live goddesses’, which they overcome by limited water intake. “The curtains are drawn, and we get a few minutes to get back into the posture. Even then, we do not move too much because it would be difficult to get back into the same position,” one of them said.
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