Bengali communities across Mumbai and its outskirts are celebrating Durga Puja with various cultural events and activities
At Sector 8 in Sanpada, Bengali Cultural Association secretary Buddhadev Karmakar said, “Our Gram Bangla theme is in a temple shaped pandal. The venue spans 1,60,000sqft, said president Arnab De Anjali, dhak, bhog, music, food and adda are drawing devotees. It brings 300 families to celebrate in a homely way, said president Subrata Mitra. Singer Shurjo Bhattacharya performed on October 18.”
President Subhankar Mitra said, “Our Rudrani style idol is crafted by Padma Shri Sanatan Rudra Pal, the only Padma awardee in clay art. A fashion show, dhunuchi competition and mukt manch are on schedule, said organiser Ashim Dey. Spokesman Soumyajit Niyogi said, “Our rustic pandal is crafted with traditional material. Spokesperson M Guha said, “We started with Milon Mela.
Performances include Indian Idol artist Tanishk Shukla, SaReGaMaPa winner Debojit Saha, Mumbai band Roots, and a tribute to Asha Bhosle. Performers include singers Amit Kumar, Javed Ali, Rupankar Bagchi and Jayati Chakraborty. The unveiling of Ma Durga’s idol was performed by children from Jeevan Jyoti Ashram, a Nerul orphanage. Since Durga Puja has an additional day, we have five days of cultural soirees. Omkar Band from Kolkata will perform on Ashtami and singers Swakshar Basu and Rahul Joshi on Navami. It recreates the sights, sounds and memories of Kolkata through an experiential mandap and audio-visual trip of architecture and streetscape. Koperkhairane Bengali Association is celebrating its 31st festival at Shetkari Samaj Hall. In Vasai, Bassein Bengal Club is hosting its 42nd Durga Puja at its Kali Mandir. Maha bhog is served to all devotees irrespective of caste and creed.