Rupang Dehi: A Divine Ode to the Warrior Healer
Soumita Saha’s Rupang Dehi is a powerful musical tribute to the divine healer avatar of Devi Durga, celebrating the strength and resilience of women, from modern-day doctors and nurses to activists and warriors.
Under the expansive Bengali skies, where the white kash flowers sway in rhythm to the autumn breeze, the anticipation of Durga Puja grows as thick as the cloying sweetness of fresh nolen gur. The annual homecoming of Uma, Bengal’s beloved warrior goddess, is usually heralded with much pomp and joy. Yet this year, a shadow lingers over the celebrations, much like a stubborn rain cloud that refuses to budge. The RG Kar controversy, with its brewing storm of delayed justice and protest, has seeped into the festive air, dampening the usual jubilant spirit of the season. Amidst the strikes and demands for equity, Soumita Saha has offered something of a silver lining with her evocative piece, Rupang Dehi.
Saha’s creation, which she describes as “aloy ferar gaan” (the song of returning to light), artfully deifies the anecdote of Devi Durga, not merely as the fierce slayer of demons but as a divine healer. It’s a clever stroke, really – while the world usually reveres the goddess for her warrior prowess, Saha sheds light on Durga’s other, often overlooked avatar, as the nurturer and restorer. And what better time to focus on healing than now, when the scars of the pandemic still feel fresh?
With every note and lyric, Rupang Dehi pays tribute to the modern-day healers – the unsung heroines, doctors, nurses, and health workers, many of them women, who during the height of the pandemic, donned their PPE armour and marched into the battlefield of hospitals, forsaking personal comforts. It’s as if Saha has drawn an invisible but unmistakable parallel between these women and the goddess herself – both warriors, both healers.
But of course, there’s more to this homage. The song also acknowledges the indomitable spirit of women across all walks of life. Whether it’s the women of the Indian Army or the activists who, much like Durga’s mythical tiger, stand poised, ready to pounce on injustice, Saha’s composition ensures their strength is woven into every bar of the music.
The production, a collaboration under Western Music Records, sees the song brought to life by the talented Rana Mondal, with the final touches expertly handled by US-based sound engineer Nero James. One can almost hear the divine symphony echoing from the hills of Kailash to the streets of Kolkata. Set to release on Melotunes’ official YouTube channel and various streaming platforms, Rupang Dehi is more than just a song. It’s an anthem, a call to action, a reminder that the strength of a warrior isn’t just in the sword she wields, but in the lives she heals.
As the goddess makes her descent from the heavens this year, she brings with her not just the promise of victory over darkness but the much-needed balm of restoration. And in the stirring melody of Rupang Dehi, one can’t help but feel a glimmer of hope, a flicker of light, ready to banish the shadows. Quite fitting, wouldn’t you say? After all, who better than a goddess – and the women of this world – to remind us that even after the darkest of nights, the sun will rise again.
And so, with the kash flowers still swaying, and the demands for justice still echoing in the streets, Saha’s creation stands as a testament to the resilience of women. Whether they’re healing hearts or fighting battles, they are – much like the goddess herself – unstoppable.