Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will begin her Durga Puja inaugurations on Saturday, with plans to open over 1,000 pujas in Kolkata and across Bengal in the coming days.
She will mark the start of the festivities on Saturday but will not unveil idols, as Mahalaya on Sunday signals the beginning of Pitri Paksha, after which idols can be formally unveiled.
On Saturday, Banerjee is scheduled to inaugurate the pujas of Hatibagan Sarbojonin, Tala Prattoy and Sreebhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town. Tala Prattoy, celebrating its centenary, will launch its 2025 Puja theme song Bij Angan, written and composed by the Chief Minister. The song has been sung by minister Indranil Sen and highlights Bengal’s cultural heritage. Sreebhumi’s puja is patronised by Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose. Security has been stepped up in and around these pujas since Friday evening.
From Sunday, the day of Mahalaya, Banerjee will inaugurate several south Kolkata pujas, including those in Bhowanipore, Kalighat, Gariahat, Ballygunge and Rashbehari. She will also continue her practice of inaugurating district pujas virtually. On August 21, she will launch the festive issue of Jago Bangla, the Trinamool Congress mouthpiece, and virtually inaugurate 350 district pujas from Chetla Agrani, a community Puja patronised by Kolkata Mayor and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim. Banerjee has long performed the customary chokhu daan at this puja. On the same day, she is expected to inaugurate Hindustan Club’s Puja, patronised by state Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.
On August 23 and 25, Banerjee will inaugurate several more district pujas from the venues of Tridhara and Alipore Bodyguard Lines. Though the final list is yet to be drawn, an official from the Information and Cultural Affairs department said the number will cross 1,000.
Among the Kolkata pujas on the Chief Minister’s list are Ekdalia Evergreen, Singhi Park, Badamtala Ashar Sangha, 66 Pally, Kalighat Milan Sangha, Mudiali Club, Shib Mandir, Ballygunge Cultural, Samaj Sevi Sangha, Suruchi Sangha, Chakraberia Sarbojonin and Bakulbagan.