It was a festival of many firsts at CA Block. It was the first time Jagadhatri Puja was held under the block’s banner, the first time residents performed dhunuchi dance at the puja and also the first time the event was thrown open to different blocks. And the dhakis who provided the rhythm for it all were mostly women.
“We had invited many blocks but only BF Block sent a team,” said joint secretary of the puja Souradip Basu. “The plan was quite a last-minute one and other blocks didn’t get time to send teams. So we extend a special thanks to BF for coming and adding to our fun. Dance has proved to be great bonding factor. It drew a bigger crowd than anjali.”
The dance began with the guests from BF Block followed by many from CA Block hopping into the ring. From BF had come mother-daughter duo Shanoli Majumder and Sanchayita Mondal along with Anurupa Misra. “I have always loved dancing but was discouraged from learning as I was never too tall. They said it wouldn’t look graceful,” said Majumder.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Majumder delighted the audience with her moves, even dancing with the dhunuchi base in her mouth. “I can dance with one in my mouth and two in either hand, but am out of practice. Not many dances are being organised due to the pandemic.” She has an issue with her foot too for which she danced with a specially-crafted shoe.
Among those who joined from the host block, Rahul Dutta danced despite a heart condition.
Neighbours cheered the three Sinha brothers, renowned for their moves. “I’m performing with the dhunuchi since Class VIII but was in Gurgaon for seven-eight years. That’s how long I danced after,” smiled Anirban Sinha, a chartered accountant. His younger brothers — twins Amrit and Ankit — impressed too, the former with what looked like a fusion of dhunuchi and break dance steps.
The twins were also preparing dhunuchis for others, adding and fanning the smoking coconut husks. “They have to be tucked into the dhunuchi in a way that they don’t fall off during the dance,” said Amrit.
“The trick is to hold the prop away from the body. But even more important is to enjoy yourself at it,” smiled Sanchayita, the curly-haired Odissi dancer from BF Block.
Eyes burnt, hands pained but the revellers kept dancing with smiles on their faces. Some even pulled their shy friends into the circle.
Providing the beat were two men and four women dhakis from Maslandapur. “I perform dhunuchi dance well. In fact, that’s why I decided to learn playing the dhak when I wasn’t getting stitching jobs in the lockdown. I knew I had a sense of rhythm,” said one of the dhakis, Mithu Roy. Her band mates were as young as Class X students, all happy to break the glass ceiling and perform in what is a usually a male-dominated profession.