The festivities centring around this year’s Durga Puja have long begun, and Kolkata has already started swaying to the beats of dhakis (traditional drummers) with thousands of people hitting the streets, hopping from one pandal to another in their new attires.
This year, however, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that the inaugurations of community puja pandals will be held only after Mahalaya.
Doing away with practices of TMC government
During her tenure, former chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee inaugurated some of the big-ticket puja pandals, patronised by her heavyweight party leaders, even before Mahalaya – which marks the transition of the Pitru Paksha to Devi. Some Hindu rights organisations had accused her of hurting religious sentiments. The BJP government is also planning a major Bijoya Sammilani (the traditional gathering after Durga Puja) in which food counters from all the districts will be set up. Instead of stopping financial assistance to puja clubs overnight, Adhikari requested that the big puja organisers in Kolkata not apply for funds. The clubs responded to the chief minister’s request. “It was primarily a one-woman show. Banerjee went on a puja-inauguration spree starting even before Mahalaya.
ousting the 15-year-old Mamata Banerjee administration, this year’s celebrations and festivities have their own share of praise and controversy While this is the first Durga Puja after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power with a sweeping victory in May this year. On September 7, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari appealed to the puja organisers not to choose any themes for their pandals that hurt the tradition, culture and sanctity.
He, however, said that the smaller pujas may apply. This time, however, the chief minister and senior BJP leaders are inaugurating puja pandals while remaining present physically at the pandals,” said a member of the Forum for Durgotsav in Kolkata.
