Durga Puja fever soars in West Bengal

KOLKATA - Thousands of people poured onto the streets of Kolkata, which looked magnificent bathed in bright lights and twinklers, as the Durga Puja celebrations reached a feverish pitch across West Bengal Saturday, day four of the festivities.

Almost all big-ticket puja pandals drew large crowds, which only increased as the day progressed and turned into night. People waited for hours in long queues to catch a glimpse of the idols of the goddess and her four children and tried to soak in every minute of the puja spirit, in the cities, towns and villages.

Amidst all round merriment, the young and the old, the rich and the poor, walked side by side, munched food from various roadside eateries set up for the festival days, and went pandal hopping. The tiny ones seemed to be the happiest lot.

Durga Puja, the five-day autumn festival beginning with ‘Shashthi’ and ending with ‘Dashami’ (Dussehra), was held with grandeur at the community puja pandals (marquees), where idols of the goddess and her children are installed and worshipped amid much fanfare.

Mahanavami, or the ninth lunar day, is the concluding day of Durga Puja rituals. The main Mahanavami puja began after the end of Sandhi Puja held at the confluence of Mahashtami (eighth lunar day) and Mahanavami around Friday midnight.

The idols will be immersed in the rivers and ponds on Mahadashami Day Sunday.

According to Kolkata Police sources, Durga Puja is being celebrated at more than 3,000 venues this year.

The Ponchish Palli Sarbojonin Durgostav Samiti decked up its pandal in multi-hued decor, a thatched roof and diyas along the walls, attracting a large number of devotees.

Lake Gardens People’s Association, which gave out a ‘green’ message with terracotta idols and murals painted with vegetable dye, was also a big draw.

Apart from the community pujas, goddess Durga is traditionally worshipped in the homes of a large number of families, who were once landlords. Among them are the pujas at the houses of erstwhile zamindar families of Hatkhola Dutta Bari, Chatubabu Latubabu, the Lahas and the house of the Mullicks of Bhowanipore.

Several housing complexes in and around Kolkata also organise Durga Puja.

After last year’s economic recession, which forced Puja committees to slash their budgets, the recent turnaround has community feasts and ‘bhog’ (community feasts of food items offered to the Goddess first) which comprises a wide range from luchis (poori bread) and khichuri, vegetable items, to fish, chicken and even mutton.

Goddess Durga, the slayer of the demon Mahishashur, sits astride a lion and wields an array of weapons in her 10 hands.

Mythology says that the puja celebrates the annual descent of the goddess accompanied by her four children Ganesh, Kartik, Lakshmi and Saraswati on earth to visit her parents.

She stays for four days to eradicate all evil from the earth before returning to her husband Lord Shiva at Kailash on Dashami.