Of pandal hopping and delectable bhog
New Delhi: Devotees from all walks of life flocked the Puja Pandals in New Delhi on Thursday to seek blessings of Goddess Durga. In an environment filled with the chanting of prayers, an exquisite tableau of idols left the visitors mesmerised, adding to it the delicious Bhog pleased the visitors all the more.
Rain lashed parts of Nehru Place and Chittaranjan (CR) Park but did not really dampen the mood of people who came from all the parts of Delhi-NCR. Sidharth Bose, who enjoyed Dahi-Bhalle with his 82-year-old father, AC Bose, at the pandal in Kali Mandir, CR Park, said, "For me, Durga Puja brings everyone closer. This is the time when family members, even the ones living abroad, come to their native place to celebrate the festival." His elderly father said that his family came to Delhi all the way from Ghaziabad. "It is the second time I visited the national capital during the pujas and it was fun," said Bose.
Taking selfies with Maa Durga was another craze among the youngsters. Well, not only the youngsters, people of all ages were busy clicking pictures with the Maa Durga idols. The Bhog served in pandals is an obvious attraction. "Pulao, Matar Paneer, Chutney and Kheer is the Bhog today," said Utpal Ghosh from Navapalli Puja Samiti. There was a long queue of people waiting for Bhog. Baul is another popular theme spotted at a pandal, where Bengali folk songs were also played.
Children were busy cajoling their parents in toy shops. At the Kali Mandir, Anita Haldar, an organiser, stated that their celebrations are always traditional. "Devotees from all walks of life visit our Puja Pandal to seek blessings and this year we showcased food cooked by women," said Haldar. According to the organisers, lakhs of people turned out at puja pandals this year. A devotee, Nirmal, sitting with her five-year-old daughter who played with a handheld gaming device, said, "In Durga Puja, the celebration begins one month ago. Durga Puja always brings peace." Another person called Kamal was spotted selling artificial jewellery near the Mela Ground area, where many other women were found purchasing stuff from here. The organisers also take care of the interior decoration and lights inside the Puja place.
At Market 1 in CR Park, Mughlai Parantha, Rolls, Chole Bhature, sweets were available for the devotees. "As a market president, I have requested my shopkeeper to give the best food to the devotees," said Shyam Sundar Majumdar. The pandals were also packed with the different variety of food items such as Chinese, Jhal Muri, Ice Creams and other dishes.
The Puja festival also brought happiness to papad sellers who made decent money during the puja season. Meanwhile, on the roadside, the food items were found kept uncovered, which raised the question of cleanliness. At Lodhi Road Puja Pandal, people from various parts of Delhi and NCR visited the place even very late at night.
