Navratri celebrations: Pune Bengalis soak in devotion

The Bang Bharti Club of Chinchwad heralded the start of the Durga Puja festivities with a grand opening at the Kivansara Garden near the Chinchwad station in Pune on Sunday. The club has been celebrating the festival for 37 years.

Pimpri-Chinchwad mayor Yogesh Behl inaugurated the event, while the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA from the Pimpri constituency, Anna Bansod, was the chief guest. 

Kolkata-based artistes presented Bengali songs on the occasion. Bang Bharti president GK Kar said that various religious and cultural programmes are being organised every day between October 2 and October 6. Puja was performed at 9 am on Monday. Mahaprasad, including the Bengali special khichdi made of vegetable ingredients, khir, chatani and rasogulla, is distributed every day to community members. Bengali Bandhav Melava is held in the evening. The children present their talent on stage followed by professional artists’ orchestra.

A mahapuja will be held on Ashtami on Tuesday, while a cultural programme will be held at night. On Navami (Wednesday), a puja and community gathering will be held. On Dassera, a procession of the idol of Durga Mata will organised.

Bang Bharti Club was established in 1974. Though the focus of the club is to hold community gathering and celebrate the Durga festival, it also raises funds to help people affected by natural calamities and the poor and needy. There are nearly 15,000 Bengalis living in the Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial suburb.