The day of Rath Yatra is considered auspicious. This day also heralds the beginning of Durga Puja as many organisers indulge in Khunti Puja, planting the first pole for the puja pandal. This year was no different as two of the pujas in the city, one in central and the other in north Kolkata held their Khunti Puja on Sunday.

The puja committees also unveiled their themes for this year. At Kanthalbagan in Entally, children dressed up as Jaganath, Balaram and Subhadra, ushered in the puja. The Kanthalbagan Sarbojanin Puja Committee also made a metre-round malpua on the occasion. The Entally puja saw Blue City being created around the area, in keeping with their theme. Into their 78th year, the theme for the puja is ‘Creation after Destruction’. The organisers said that creation of this earth is not only through natural process and through human efforts but also with divine intervention.

Goddess Durga lent her powers in creating colours and hues on this earth. “Based on this belief, our Durga idol will also reflect the vibrancy of colours. We will show how the creation of this earth has happened from a bland state, through our theme,” said Soumojit Das, jt secretary of the puja committee. The organisers chose to paint the houses in the vicinity blue because the earth, when viewed from space or the moon, resembles a blue ball. The organisers, with support from corporate sponsorships, have embarked upon a theme puja as till last year they were holding very traditional Durga Puja. At Jagat Mukherjee Park in Bagbazar, Bongaon Local 2 is the theme. The committee had recreated Bongaon Local in 2016 and this year it is going to be a sequel of the last time. Minister Sashi Panja was the chief guest at the Khunti Puja. While in 2016, the puja drew a record crowd, the organisers are hoping this year too, the response would be tremendous.

In Bongaon Local Part 1, the artist had shown the journey on a local train. Vendors selling their wares, the cacophony of a bogey, the sound of a moving train at high speed were all part of the theme. People, who walked inside the pandal, were transported to a local train. “We keep innovating. Last year, we had done Barshamongol, the advent of good tidings brought about by the monsoon. This year they are celebrating their 88 years of Puja,” said Dwaipayan Roy, jt secretary. Bhowanipur 75 Palli had interfaith Khuti Puja today, a testament to its commitment for inclusivity and cultural diversity. Subir Das, club secretary, said, “In our 60th year, we are thrilled to introduce the Interfaith Khuti Puja, which exemplifies our dedication to fostering unity.”