With chief minister Mamata Banerjee taking out a rally to thank UNESCO for putting the Durga Puja on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the Puja committees and clubs, which are an intrinsic part of the annual event, also turned up in full force to celebrate the occasion.
While some came out with banners of their clubs, others brought out mascots. One of the organizing clubs chose to also serve bhog (prasad), without which no ritual is complete to the fellow walkers; another thanked the chief minister for the immense success of the Puja over the years. Indranil Majumder,
Puja secretary of Pallir Yubak Brinda, Sitaram Ghosh Street, said, “We had carried bhog in earthen pots to be presented to the chief minister but since we would not reach up to her, we later distributed the bhog amongst the fellow walkers. We had prepared prasad for approximately 1,500 people.
This is our Diamond Jubilee year and our theme is ‘prokiti-e-ma’ (nature is mother).” Purbaputiary Pragati Sangha of Kudghat credited Mamata Banerjee for the world recognition of Durga Puja. Pijus Saha, Puja secretary and executive body member of the club, said, “Our theme this year is Swarna Jug (golden era). Our theme is on shradhanjali (tribute) to the singers and musicians of yesteryears, when the gramophone was in vogue.
We are installing the pandal with gramophone records with the pictures of these lost artists. We dedicate the success of Durga Puja in the state to our Didi (Mamata Banerjee). We are also giving tribute to Mamata Banerjee for transforming the Pujas from sarbajanin (community) to biswajanin (world famous).” The club members feel Mother’s progression to the world state has been possible because of their beloved Didi.
Thirty of the members of the club walked throughout the rally today, which is in their 68th year of celebration. “The CM has done enough to lift its status since she came to power in 2011. We are also having a stall, where we will be thanking UNESCO for bestowing the ‘heritage’ tag to Bengal’s Durga Puja,” said Saha.