CM to open 7 Pujas in Hills

Darjeeling: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be inaugurating one of the oldest Durga Pujas of North Bengal on Wednesday. Steeped in history, the Puja organised by Nripendra Narayan Bengali Hindu Hall (NNBH) in Darjeeling hits the 106th year.

The Chief Minister will be inaugurating 7 Pujas of the

Darjeeling district virtually on that day.

The District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, Darjeeling will be present at the NNBH hall during the inauguration. "This is the first time that the Chief Minister is inaugurating the Puja at NNBH hall.

This year owing to the pandemic the commemoration has been toned down," stated Narayan Chandra Dey, President, Puja Committee.

The Durga Puja started from 1914 in the temple, organised by the local Bengali populace. Great names like Swami Vivekananda, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan, Sister Nivedita, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Acharya J. C. Bose and the great revolutionary Bagha-Jatin had all paid visits to this hall. From Pushpanjali to Bhog and Aarati everything echoes of tradition –preserved religiously through the ages. No pandal is erected for the puja and the idol is placed in the main altar of the temple belonging to the NNBHH.

During the days of the British Raj the idol used to arrive from Krishnagar by train to Siliguri.

From Siliguri it used to be brought to Darjeeling by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, having two engines, one in the front and the other in the

rear.

From the early fifties the image is being brought from Siliguri. In the old days

plays used to be staged all night long.

The Ladies were not supposed to come out in the open. A special Ladies gallery had been constructed for them with a net in front. The ladies with long drawn "Ghomtas"

used to watch the plays from here.

Bisarjan (immersion) is also unique. In the olden days the procession used to be accompanied by a police band and the members dressed in traditional attire used to sing devotional songs all along the way.

The image used to be carried on a bamboo structure, by the youngsters and taken all over town and immersed in Kakjhora, a spring.

The ultimate halt before reaching Kakjhora was the Burdawan Palace.

The Maharaja of Burdwan used to see the face of the

image offering a golden mohur (coin).