UNESCO tag to Puja anniv: Felicitation event, talk show to be held on Dec 15

KOLKATA: Forum for Durgotsav, an umbrella organisation of over 400 community Pujas in the city, is going to acknowledge the contributions of people closely associated with varied aspects of Durga Puja by honouring them on December 15, which marks the completion of a year after Durga Puja made it to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Those who will be felicitated by the Forum at a programme at Town Hall include theme maker Bandhan Raha, idol maker Late Ramesh Pal, shola artist late Ananta Malakar who hailed from Kirhnahar in Birbhum, octogenarian light artist Sridhar Das from Chandannagore, Hooghly and minister Subrata Mukherjee for his role in patronising and organising the Puja of Ekdalia Evergreen Club for several years.

"The unison of all these aspects are an integral part for hosting Durga Puja so we have chosen experts from all these fields. Similar programme will be held every year," Saswata Bose, general secretary of the Forum said.

He added that Mukherjee has been chosen for the award for being the key man behind the Durga Puja of Ekdalia Evergreen which has always, believed in the traditional form of the Puja instead of theme based ones. The Forum will also felicitate those clubs that have completed 50 years, 75 years and 100 years in 2022. The felicitation programme will be followed by a talk show on Durga Puja which will involve people closely associated with Durga Puja, including state Power minister Aroop Biswas who patronises the Suruchi Sangha Puja.