“No, no Sumedha, let’s try that again…”
Mrs. Nupur Chatterjee ignored the faint sign of irritation on Sumedha’s face.
“Sing with me now… Phagun hawoay hawoay…”
Mrs. Chatterjee is a perfectionist; even minor lapses do not go past her.
Rehearsals are in full swing for the cultural program in the evening of Doljatra.
Like every year, this year too, a cultural function is scheduled at the open-air stage inside the sprawling gated community where Nupur lives. Nupur is the enthusiastic director of the show, and the performers are primarily children who live in the complex.
The exams are over, and they attend the rehearsal at the community hall every afternoon. Everybody is determined to make the show memorable.
An Afternoon Beside the Lake
Holi is only a few days away.
Nupur is tired and excited with expectation. So, one of these days she decided to give herself a break.
Nupur has always loved to stroll beside Dhakuria Lake, also known as Rabindra Sarobar. So, she decided to spend an afternoon there.
What she saw, and felt, calmed her mind and took all her stress away.
As in every spring, the trees are in full bloom. The Shimul, Palash, Krisnachura, and Radhachura trees are a riot of colours and the dreary urban landscape is transformed.
If you visit the Maidan, the Victoria Memorial premises, Rabindra Sarobar, and various tree-lined roads in Kolkata during this time, you can hear the footsteps of spring, as well as the call of cuckoos. The trees are adorned with new bright green leaves and are in full bloom in red, yellow, pink, and violet hues.
Now is the time to spring clean your home, especially since Poila Boishakh is not far away.
You can consider a makeover of your home with the change of curtains and upholstery.
A Seasonal Home Makeover
Before you embark on changing the home’s look and feel, you should start with a thorough deep cleaning of every room.
Let us consider some crucial areas which need special attention.
Dining, Living, and Bedroom: Dust and clean with a damp cloth, vacuum clean beds, upholstery, and mattresses, edge carpets after vacuum, wash bed sheets and curtains, and clean glass surfaces with glass cleaners, especially clean hard-to-reach corners. Treat upholstery, carpets, and curtains with anti-mite treatment.
Balconies: The floor must be cleaned and brushed to make it non-slippery, do a thorough algae treatment, and clean and polish the railing.
Washroom: Scrub the sink and remove grout from tiles, clean and polish mirrors, faucets and shower panels, and scrub the floor.
Kitchen: Clean gadgets like microwave cooker, stovetop, chimney, toaster, dishwasher, and refrigerator as per the respective manufacturer’s instructions. A disinfectant spray and insect control treatment can round it off.
Once you are done with deep cleaning of your home, it is time for a home makeover.
It is a good idea to change your upholstery, carpets, and curtains with light cloured ones. Deep-coloured ones are suitable for winter only.
Decide on a theme. Suitable themes for spring and impending summer can be based on plants and flowers. Use pastel shades rather than blocks, solids, or heavy designs.
A fast and easy way to refresh the look of any room is by using wallpapers. Hundreds of bright-coloured wallpapers are available for you to choose from.
The Garden Must Be Ready for Summer
The days of Marigolds, Dahlias, and Chrysanthemums are over. Now is the time to prepare your garden for the summer.
Those winter flower plants must give away to Bougainvillaea, Bella, Jasmine, Hibiscus, and Garden Balsam. Cut out the overgrowth, de-weed them, and plant new ones in place of the dead ones.
If you have space for a vegetable garden, plant lime, bottle gourd, okra, and bitter gourd for the season.
The temperature rises rapidly in Kolkata in the spring, so you must water the garden well.
The Cultural Milieu
Holi is, of course, the most popular cultural function of the spring.
Like Nupur’s housing complex, cultural programs take place in various gated communities and localities in Kolkata.
But it does not end there.
“Ore grihabasi khol dwar khol…” will soon fade away and Nupur and her team will be busy rehearsing for the program on Poila Boishakh day.
The cultural milieu in Kolkata is very strong and gated communities provide the first opportunity for a budding singer to present his/her craft in public. Apart from gated communities, Basanta Utsav celebrations take place in various public auditoriums in Kolkata.
In spring nature refreshes itself after winter with new foliage and bright flowers.
This is also an opportunity for us to refresh our minds, body, and soul with fresh ideas.
The Wrap Up
Enjoy the season by being in touch with nature — watching colours around you, listening to birds chirping, and soaking in pleasant afternoons.
