Saraswati Puja in schools is not new, but Garfa Dhirendranath Memorial Higher Secondary Girls’ High School celebrated the puja in a different tone. Instead of the regular hustle and bustle of the priests, the school had entrusted this auspicious responsibility to their Sanskrit teacher Arpita Baidya. The entire student and teacher community is very excited about this.
The teachers of the school said that performing the puja and other activities by a female priest is not a new concept but one of their colleagues is doing the same. “We are very proud of that and our students are more involved in this ritual because of it. We always try to teach them to hold on to the culture and customs as they move ahead. Hence, with the new start of our colleague Arpita, the school has moved to the next step of advancement.”
To conclude the event, a chal in hand (hate khari) ceremony was also organised for the daughter of one of the teachers, thus starting her studentship through a female priest on this Saraswati Puja.