Tallest Durga idol at Deshapriya Park to remain close this Durga puja

The transgender rights activist group Pratyay Gender Trust in collaboration with a city community puja organisation, has modelled their idol on the “Ardhanarishwar” or the composite androgynous form of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati.

The worshipping of Maa Durga began at hundreds of pandals across the State on the occasion of Maha Shasthi. This is for the first time that the initiative of decorating the entire pandal from bamboo has been taken up by Rilbong Durga puja committee.

One half of the idol has a moustache, a pectoral instead of a breast, smaller eyelashes, and a dhoti (traditional male garment). “This is where the commercialisation parts come in and we have to give space for a lot of stall and there is more branding than ever before”, Mr. Guha said.

China Pal, also happens to be the only woman artiste of Kumortuli, north Kolkata’s traditional potter’s quarters.

I have spent 30 years celebrating Durga Pujo in Delhi and every year, my friends and I set one day from the five aside to visit the best pandals in the city.

It was Bhanu who had the idea of including the transgender community in the Puja celebrations and contacted the Puja committee. “We are taking adequate measures to see that the pollution level in the Yamuna doesn’t go up because of Durga Puja”, he said.

It was a report in Bengali newspaper Ei Samay that helped get more people on board, said Bajpayee, describing how an elderly gentleman, and a complete stranger to the local puja, arrived soon after with over 250 religious books which he donated.

“A copy of the written pledge will be sent to both Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, Bondhu Mahal Puja President R G Pramanik said.

The Election Commission (EC) has issued guidelines for holding/celebrating various programmes and functions during festivals making it clear that Durga Puja celebrations should not be used for political purposes.

“The festival of Durga Puja at North-East mostly at Assam is colored with devotional zeal, mythological legends, detailed rituals, extravagant pandals and magnificent tableaus of the divine Mother Goddess and her children”.

Meanwhile, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said security measures had been taken for peaceful celebration of Durga puja and Ashura. “We never wanted the puja to be isolated but want to make it an inclusive space”. The Curtain raising in various Puja Pandal has started since morning and some of the Pandals in Patna have allowed visitors to view the Goddess’ Idol from as early as 9 AM.