Star-studded Durga Puja set to dazzle Mumbai
MUMBAI, Oct 5: Almost 90 years ago, a Durga Puja celebration was initiated on a small scale in Mumbai by Bengali goldsmiths. Today there are over 85 big marquees where the goddess is worshipped for five days –– and in attendance are Bollywood celebrities and commoners alike.
The puja, beginning in right earnest from Sunday, sees most of the 1.2 million Bengalis living in Mumbai and adjoining Thane district revel in religious and cultural festivities. And other communities are not far behind.
While the biggest star-studded celebration will be witnessed at Bollywood playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s Durga ‘pandal’ in Andheri, actress Rani Mukherji’s celebration in nearby Santa Cruz will offer close competition.
The other important venues are Charni Road and Kalbadevi, both in south Mumbai along with those in suburbs like Bandra, Shivaji Park, Powai, Kandivli and Chembur. The organizers, however, say special security arrangements have been made.
“Durga Puja has now become an integral part of Mumbai’s social and religious calendar,” Prashant Kundu, the events director of south Mumbai’s Durga Bari Samiti, pointing out that the celebrations started in 1920, told IANS.
“What began with just one Durga celebration –– at Kalbadevi –– organized by the Bengali goldsmiths and gold artisans, has now grown into 86 major (sarvajanik) public celebrations.
Of the 86, nearly a dozen are organized on a mega scale with budgets ranging from Rs 5 million to Rs 20 million, and the rest are budgeted between Rs 300,000 to Rs 2 million, Kundu said.
For the first time, the Durga Puja ‘mandal’ or organizers at Vashi, Navi Mumbai, has constructed a replica of the entire Belur Math near Kolkata.
One Durga Puja that many Bengalis throng to is held at the Ramkrishna Mission in Khar, a northwestern suburb. According to Kundu, it is the only place in Mumbai where ‘Kumari Puja’ is conducted and sees a pre-puberty girl being worshipped as Goddess Durga on the day of Ashtami.
Director Basu Chatterjee, who is the moving force behind the Bandra Durga Puja, said it was started by the legendary filmmaker Shakti Samanta several decades ago.
“I joined much later and am trying to contribute in my small way to carry forward the tradition,” Chatterjee told IANS. (IANS)
Durga Puja in Mumbai Durga Puja Maharashtra Durga Puja Mumbai Durga Puja Pune Durga Puja Nagpur Durga Puja India Durga Puja Bollywood celebrities Durga Puja Bollywood Durga Puja
MUMBAI, Oct 5: Almost 90 years ago, a Durga Puja celebration was initiated on a small scale in Mumbai by Bengali goldsmiths. Today there are over 85 big marquees where the goddess is worshipped for five days –– and in attendance are Bollywood celebrities and commoners alike.
The puja, beginning in right earnest from Sunday, sees most of the 1.2 million Bengalis living in Mumbai and adjoining Thane district revel in religious and cultural festivities. And other communities are not far behind.
While the biggest star-studded celebration will be witnessed at Bollywood playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s Durga ‘pandal’ in Andheri, actress Rani Mukherji’s celebration in nearby Santa Cruz will offer close competition.
The other important venues are Charni Road and Kalbadevi, both in south Mumbai along with those in suburbs like Bandra, Shivaji Park, Powai, Kandivli and Chembur. The organizers, however, say special security arrangements have been made.
“Durga Puja has now become an integral part of Mumbai’s social and religious calendar,” Prashant Kundu, the events director of south Mumbai’s Durga Bari Samiti, pointing out that the celebrations started in 1920, told IANS.
“What began with just one Durga celebration –– at Kalbadevi –– organized by the Bengali goldsmiths and gold artisans, has now grown into 86 major (sarvajanik) public celebrations.
Of the 86, nearly a dozen are organized on a mega scale with budgets ranging from Rs 5 million to Rs 20 million, and the rest are budgeted between Rs 300,000 to Rs 2 million, Kundu said.
For the first time, the Durga Puja ‘mandal’ or organizers at Vashi, Navi Mumbai, has constructed a replica of the entire Belur Math near Kolkata.
One Durga Puja that many Bengalis throng to is held at the Ramkrishna Mission in Khar, a northwestern suburb. According to Kundu, it is the only place in Mumbai where ‘Kumari Puja’ is conducted and sees a pre-puberty girl being worshipped as Goddess Durga on the day of Ashtami.
Director Basu Chatterjee, who is the moving force behind the Bandra Durga Puja, said it was started by the legendary filmmaker Shakti Samanta several decades ago.
“I joined much later and am trying to contribute in my small way to carry forward the tradition,” Chatterjee told IANS. (IANS)
Durga Puja in Mumbai Durga Puja Maharashtra Durga Puja Mumbai Durga Puja Pune Durga Puja Nagpur Durga Puja India Durga Puja Bollywood celebrities Durga Puja Bollywood Durga Puja
No comments:
Post a Comment