Lata Mangeshkar: “Durga Puja This Year Will Have To Be Without Fanfare”

The Nightingale Lata Mangeshkar is  a  huge fan of  Ma Durgaa.

“I’ve  always been an admirer of Her shakti,her determination to drive Evil out of the universe.  Given the  bleak  situation,we  need  the incentive to embrace  goodness more than ever before. God knows, this is  the  worst year  civilization  has seen .At least, the  worst during my  lifetime.  I had heard   about the  plague that wiped away  millions before my birth. But the Corona is  something else,” says Lataji.

Whay advise  does  Lataji  give to   the  Durgaa Maa devotees who  generally throng on the roads  specially in  Kolkata  to celebrate?

“Embrace  Durga Maa’s love  from  your homes. This year She wants  you to meet her  from afar. Social  distancing is  the  urgent need  of the  hour. This Dussehra  pray for the evil  of the  pandemic to be  vanquished so  that  the  next year we  could return to the custom of  visiting  the  pandaal(religious platforms)  and fraternizing with friends and relatives,” says Lataji who says  she  enjoys  singing devotionals  in praise  of   Durgaa Maa the  most.

“I’ve recorded many bhajans  in praise of  Durgaa Maa. They are among my favourites  from my repertoire and  the listeners’ favourite too,” says  the  Nightingale humbly as she recalls  the Durgaa Puja from her childhood.

“It was  always the time for new clothes  for all of us brothers and sisters, lots of  mithai. Sadly  the  Virus has  changed  the world  . Never mind! We  won’t let  it  diminish  our devotion.”