Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday marked the beginning of Ganga Aarti for the first time in the state from Baje Kadamtala Ghat in Kolkata. People of the state no longer need to travel to Varanasi to witness the grand spectacle.
“The Ganga Aarti will be held every day from now on. During summer, it will be held from 7 pm while in the winter it will be performed from 6 pm. There will be seating arrangements on two sides for people who wish to come and witness it,” Banerjee said.
She added that during immersion days, namely during Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Lakshmi Puja etc, the Ganga Aarti will remain suspended. The 11 temporary platforms that have been set up where the priests will stand and perform the rituals will be removed during immersion to make way for the idols.
Banerjee said she had witnessed Ganga Aarti being performed in Varanasi near the crematorium and from there the idea of performing similar rituals in Kolkata had struck her. A special team of priests have been earmarked for performing the rituals.
She also inaugurated a statue of Ma Ganga in a temporary shrine at Baje Kadamtala Ghat. “The Ganga flows through a number of districts in the state and we worship her as our mother. Let us mark the beginning of Ganga Aarti by seeking blessings from Ma Ganga,” Banerjee said.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has taken measures to ensure cleanliness of the ghats on a daily basis and lighting arrangements have also been augmented for better illumination.
Banerjee had expressed her desire to host the Ganga Aarti in November last year and had accordingly instructed the KMC to identify one of the ghats in the city that can suitably be venue for the event. In January, while visiting the ground near Babughat where transit camps for Gangasagar pilgrims were set up, Banerjee had asked the KMC to start preparations for readying Baje Kadamtala Ghat from the date of birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on January 12.
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and Member Mayor-in-Council Tarak Singh supervised the progress of developing infrastructure for the Ganga Aarti from time to time and it has become a reality in a little over two weeks.