Durgapur: 300-year-old Puja carries forward the legacy

Kolkata: A 300-year-old Puja that had started in Durgapur by a cumulative effort of eight villages still carries the legacy and old fervour. The Puja has a unique story.

Local people say that eight villages namely Sujoda, Mejedihi, Bonogram, Jagurbadh, Nagarbadh and others started the Durga Puja three centuries ago. Around 70 years ago, a steel plant came where the Puja used to be held. The Puja venue then shifted to the Gopalmath area. When the earlier Puja venue was changed, the wooden structure of the idol of the Goddess Durga was immersed in the River Damodar. It is said that later on, when the villagers relocated and the community again developed in Gopalmath area, a family member received a divine command amid dream that the structure that was immersed in the River can be fished out and an idol can be made on the same structure. The local people took out the structure from the river and started Puja with a renewed effort.

The women members of various families organise a unique programme on ‘Saptami’. In the morning, a palanquine ride is organised. Sindoor (vermilion) khela is also organised by the women members of each family. All the families wait through the year for Puja to arrive.

Meanwhile, the Young Boys Club of Central Kolkata has announced its theme for its Durga Puja - ‘Ek Tukda Aakash’. The theme sheds light on the pressing concerns surrounding urban development in the city, particularly the rise of high-rise buildings obscuring the natural beauty of the city’s skyline. The artistic vision for this year’s mandapa, crafted by artist Souvik Kali, will take visitors in an environment reminiscent of a dense cluster of urban flats. The pandal has been made by utilizing bamboo, wood, and iron.

The pandal will reflect the overwhelming presence of urbanization, while the incorporation of cement and brick will illustrate the stark contrast between tradition and modernity.