American author visits city, wants to write about Pujas

Kolkata: After hearing much about the Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata, an American author has come down to the city to witness the puja here and write books on Bengal's biggest festival.

Anna Azabi, a celebrated American writer visited India for the first time. Anna has decided to spend the puja days at Kathaltola Puja pandal where she will offer 'anjali' to Goddess Durga. She is trying hard to learn the Sanskrit hymns too. She is also a social worker who feeds street children.

Anna said that she had never visited India but came to know about the Durga Puja through Internet. Lakhs of people from various parts of the state visit the city to soak in the spirit of Bengal's biggest festival. She met another woman, Sumitra Rai in Delhi who had grown in her the interest of visiting the state during puja. The author has visited Rai's house at Barasat in North 24 Parganas where she would be spending the Puja days. On Saturday, she visited the Kathaltola puja pandal and talked to the organisers.

During her conversation with the puja organisers, Toton Chakraborty, Amitava Das and Khokon Chatterjee, the American author came to know about the details how the people here worship Goddess Durga, the rituals and the customs.

She was impressed over the way the Puja is celebrated not only in the state but other states as well. She was glad to know how Durga Puja is celebrated in other countries too. She also visited the house of lawyer Subhas Ranjan Sengupta situated close to the Kathaltola puja pandal and expressed her desire that she wants to offer her prayer to the Goddess clad in saree. She was also trying quickly to learn the hymns used during the Pujas. She also said that she would write on puja and the people who celebrate it after her return to her country.