Communal harmony was on display in East Burdwan where Muslims, over the decades, have been participating in Lakshmi Puja with the Hindu families for three consecutive days.
At Dharmadanga village in Purbasthali block of Kalna, youths, Sheikh Irfan, Sheikh Abu, Sheikh Insan were busy arranging for prasad with friends Kamal Ghosh and Rajib Das. They together, like every year, toiled hard to erect a pandal. By profession, they are all farmers. This is the 46th year of the puja, they said.
“Together we arrange this puja and pray side-by-side for better yield,” said Insan, joint secretary of the puja committee. Kamal, another secretary, added, “Like Eid, Lakshmi Puja is an equally important festival in Dharmadanga. We collect subscriptions together from every household and all donate wholeheartedly.” This year, a 16-feet idol was prepared. The budget for this year’s puja is Rs 4 lakh.
Today, Debaprasad Bag, MLA, Kalna inaugurated the puja. He said, “Dharmadanga stands as a living example of communal harmony over the years and the entire Kalna residents respect the village.”