Puja ends peacefully amid rains, pandals reverberate with Mamata’s songs

Kolkata: Durga Puja passed off peacefully in Kolkata with the state government ensuring a trouble-free festival and the major credit being given to various state agencies, especially the police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Despite the rains and the weather alert, all the big-ticket pujas saw a huge gathering of people on all the puja days. Kolkata also witnessed a rainy Vijaya Dashami on Thursday as showers lashed the city. On Dashami, an overcast sky and intermittent showers dampened the festive spirit of Durga Puja revellers on the concluding day of celebrations. The city and its adjoining areas witnessed partially cloudy weather on Friday as well.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s self-composed songs were played in various Puja pandals across the city and also in the rest of Bengal. Many of her songs were published during this Puja. On the day of Navami, Banerjee on social media posted her own song. Banerjee wrote and composed the music. Noted singer Iman Chakraborty sang the song “Jodi Thakto Ektu Chotto Bagan/Tobe Koli Hoye Roj Fut-tam…” Banerjee also expressed best wishes to all the people of Bengal.

Banerjee, this year, started inaugurating Durga Puja mandaps from the day before Mahalaya. Now, people of Bengal are getting more days instead of three to visit the Puja mandaps and Durga Puja itself has become a small industry involving investment of crores of money.

Even the Puja carnival on Red Road will be bigger as the number of participating clubs has jumped from 89 in 2024 to 113 this year, surpassing even the centenary mark seen in previous editions. Conceived in 2016 as a cultural showcase to cap off Durga Puja.

The carnival has grown into one of Kolkata’s most anticipated public spectacles, attracting thousands of spectators and international guests.