A homely celebration

The Koparkhairane Bengali Association will celebrate its 18th Durgotsav this year and give residents of Koparkhairane an opportunity to come together for the festival closer to home.

“Most Durga Puja mandals organise grand celebrations in Vashi, and people from Koparkhairane have to make the long commute to be a part of them. We have organised a puja for the people of Koparkhairane right here. I am sure all our efforts will be successful,” said Prasun Goswami, secretary of the association.

The 16-foot idol of Goddess Durga has been created by artist Ratraj Pal who is from Kumortuli in northern Kolkata that is famous for artisans making Durga idols. The idol will be Elokeshi’s with her hair left untied. Hundreds of devotees are expected to attend the celebration.

Although the budget of the mandal is limited, what will attract residents is the homely atmosphere that the association intends to create. “It is not our motive to make this a pompous and extravagant celebration. We will focus mainly on keeping the traditional aspects of celebrations intact and creating a homely atmosphere for all who gather.

Around 600 people attend the puja every year and leave with the satisfaction of having celebrated the festival like a family,” cultural secretary Shivaji Sanyal said.

The function will start with a pushpanjali puja, and cultural programmes will be held on important days i.e. shashti, saptami, ashtami and navami.

“On the first day, a local Bengali band called Sparsh will perform. Surjo Bhattacharjee, a well-known face from the film industry, will sing on the next day. On the last day, Indian Idol participant Ritu Pathak will sing past and recent hits,” said Debasish Mukherji, assistant cultural secretary.