CM's poem finds place in Durga Puja: Sobuj, now a theme at Swadhin Sangha

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's poem Sobuj (The Green) will be the theme of Swadhin Sangha's Puja at Bhowanipore. The message of preserving greenery without chopping down trees indiscriminately will be the propagated by the puja committee.

"The ritual of worshipping trees was very much existent in the days of Ved Puran. Infact, Saptami, the first day of Durga Puja begins with the pre dawn birth of Kolabou or Nabapatrika. This is an ancient ritual of worshiping nine types of plants like banana plant (kola gaach), turmeric plant (halud gaach), jayanti tree, wood apple tree, (bel gaach), pomegranate tree (daalim gaach), arum plant (maankochu), rice plant and ashoka tree. The nine plants of Nabapatrika represent the nine goddesses that are the nine forms of Devi Durga. Our aim is to highlight that tree is actually goddess Durga. We associate the goddess with creation. Hence, if someone uproots a tree he is actually destroying creation," theme maker Subrata Dey said.

As many as 12 episodes of the Ved Puran associated with the woprship of Devi Durga will be focused in the puja pandal. The puja organisers have delved into manuscripts of the ancient days in a number of old libraries including the Asiatic Society for this. The entry of the pandal will be such that people will feel that they are going under a trishul (trident).

The poem Sobuj on which the theme is based has been given the form of a song which will be played in the pandal. Banerjee herself has composed the music and noted singer Rupankar has lent his voice to it.

"There will be small ball like things made of plastic decking up the puja pandal signifying particles and anti particles. This symbolises that the Devi is the creator of the neutrons, protons and electrons," Dey said.

The model of various parts of trees will also adorn the pandal as a number of mantras of the Ved Purans will be chanted through an audio system to add to the feel of the ancient days.