Bengal tourism resonates in Durga Puja organised in Abu Dhabi

Kolkata: At a time when the Mamata Banerjee-government is trying to give a boost to tourism in Bengal during the Durga Puja, a country far away from India is also showcasing Bengal tourism. The Abu Dhabi Bangiya Parishad is churning out Bengal Tourism as its theme in the Durga Puja.

"We are far away from our roots in the state for the sake of jobs. However, we can never forget the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty that Bengal is blessed with. This is our small effort to highlight the beauty of Bengal before the people in this part of the world," Jayanta Chattopadhyay, a puja organiser said.

The puja committee will project various tourist destinations of Bengal. The organisers have worked hard to create models of places like Mandarmani, Jaldapara, Sunderbans and Darjeeling in a place known for its deserts to provide an idea of the wide variety of tourist attractions in the state that has forests, hills as well as the sea.

"A number of Bengalis are settled in Abu Dhabi for their livelihood and many youth are growing up in the foreign country. They have little idea about the beauty of Bengal. We want to provide them an idea of the rich cultural heritage of Bengal and encourage them to visit Bengal and witness with their naked eyes the diversity it has," Chattopadhyay said. The puja in Abu Dhabi is stepping into its 10th year and will be held in a banquet hall on Airport Road. The idols are made afresh every three years. This year, the idols will be made out of clay on a structure of thermocol.

People from Oman, Dubai, Sharjah and Qatar also throng the puja pandal during the Puja.

The priest for the Pujas is going from Bengal and all the rituals associated with the puja will be observed in the same manner as it is done in Bengal.

The puja will also have the facilities of bhog with nearly 400 people enjoying the same on Saptami. Asthami and Navami. The menu will comprise luchi, brinjal fry (begun bhaja), chholar dal, rosogolla, khichuri, polao, paneer makhani etc for the vegeterians and chicken manchurian, fish fry, biriyani for non-vegeterians.