Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated five community Durga puja in north Kolkata and 836 pujas across the districts virtually from her Kalighat residence this afternoon. She urged the puja organizers to light lamps and put flowers at the feet of Maa Durga on the day of Mahalaya which falls on Saturday.

She noted that UNESCO has bestowed the Intangible Heritage tag to the Durga Puja, which will bring many foreigners and requested the puja organizers to welcome them. Miss Banerjee regretted that because of a problem with her leg she could not attend the inaugural programme physically. “Though, I am not physically present, my heart is always with you.

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During my foreign trip, I hurt my leg at Barcelona and the pain which I had received in north Bengal got aggravated. There was pain in my knee but I completed the trip as programmes were held to showcase Bengal. The infection still persists and IV injections are pushed during the course of treatment. The doctors have advised me to rest.

However, I will attend the Durga Puja carnival on 27 October.” Miss Banerjee reiterated that religion is personal but the festival is for all. “In Durga Puja people from different communities take part. This is the long-cherished culture and tradition in Bengal,” she said while inaugurating the Durga Puja at Entally Matribhumi which is celebrating its 75th year. After inaugurating the Durga Puja at Sreebhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, which is organized by Trinamul Congress MLA Sujit Bose, she urged the organizers to cooperate with police to maintain traffic flow along with that of pandal-hoppers.

She inaugurated Hatibagan Sarbojanin in north Kolkata. She appreciated the idol of Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity and said the image would be preserved at the museum at Rabindra Sarobar after the carnival. She also inaugurated the Durga Puja of Tala Pratya in north Kolkata.

Miss Banerjee inaugurated 836 community pujas across the districts. Of these pujas, 35 were in Cooch Behar, 19 in Alipurduar, 63 in Jalpaiguri, 8 in Kalimpong, 40 in Darjeeling and 40 in Uttar Dinajpur. She inaugurated 57 pujas in North 24-Parganas, 50 in South 24-Parganas, 51 in Howrah, 35 in Nadia, 31 in Murshidabad, 37 in Purba Burdwan and 32 in Paschim Burdwan, 37 in Hooghly, 33 in Birbhum.

In East Midnapore she inaugurated 39 pujas, 41 in Paschim Medinipur and 36 in Jhargram. Miss Banerjee during the cabinet meeting which was held at her residence instructed the police to maintain law and order and provide easy passage to the pandal hoppers.