Committees, with hefty budgets, set aside a certain sum for publicity of their Durga Puja and the theme.

The sex workers, Durbar women from Sonagachi are not so fortunate. Though they have their themes each year, it is never publicised for lack of any celebrity, who would become their brand ambassador.

This year, though, there is an exception. The sex workers have got support from sympathisers, who have agreed to help them in their cause.

The result: These sex girls have themselves donned on the greasepaint and make up to put spotlight on them and be models for their Puja shoot.

An all female club, Arjunpur Taltala Amra Shobai Club, celebrating their 50 years of their Puja, has come forward to join hands with the Sonagachi puja. Mousumi Naskar of the club said, “We came to know that the durbar women organise community feast (bhog) in a large proportion and we thought it appropriate to contribute there with raw materials like milk, vegetables, dry ration etc. On Friday, the day of their unveiling of their theme, we also contributed a paltry sum towards their Puja.”

Sonajhuri Haat project, which organises handicrafts fairs throughout the state, is also associating with the sex workers. “Shonajhuri Haat has contributed with handwoven jewellery and saris crafted and weaved by our artisans for their photo shoot on Friday. Saris like Murshidabad silk, Shantiniketan kantha stitch and from other districts were given to them,” said Rajarshi Das of the project.

The project provides a market for artisans from Bengal and has around 2,500 craftsmen and taanth workers as our members. “We have been associated with Durbar girls since 2017. I have organised Bhai Phonta and other events with sex workers and transgenders from the area,” added Das.

Bisakha Naskar of Durbar women said that they are overwhelmed with the spontaneous response from the sympathisers.

“We had our theme as ‘Durbarer bhabna, jol opochoi ar na’ and we decided to coin our own slogan: ‘Amader Puja, Amader Mukh’. We shot our theme yesterday. We are happy that every year our theme gets confined within the four walls of the pandal but this year it will travel across the city through the banners,” said Bisakha. They will unveil their banner on 30 August, Rakhi day.