It was in 1998 that a group of women decided to organise an all-women-led Durga puja that would celebrate ‘Nari shakti’ and challenge the gender norms, thus leading from the front with their capabilities, an initiative that had garnered much zeal from several neighbourhood homes
The Barisha Jagrihi Women’s Welfare Association (previously known as Jagrihi Women’s Association) had to face a lot of challenges when it came to conducting ‘Sarodutsav’. From working under the hardship of tight funds, especially during the Covid times, to facing several other challenges, this association has now entered their 27th year of celebration. While talking to The Statesman, the president of the association, Kaberi Banerjee, said, “There is a unique history behind our Durga puja. A former member of our team had dreamt of Maa Durga in her dream, and that’s how we started with the puja, with 21-22 members forming the initial association. We had been conducting the puja for the last 26 years at the playground adjacent to the Jagrihi club, Barisha; however, due to some unavoidable circumstances, we had to shift it to a nearby bylane this year.”
Comprising 17 members during the present times, the spouses and the children of these members are active participants towards making this Durga puja a success as well. Kaberi Banerjee added, “We have seen the highs and lows of conducting a Durga puja in these many years. At first, we used to gather funds from volunteer donations from neighbourhood houses and our own donations and a few corporate advertisements; however, after Covid, the number of corporate advertisements has reduced, but our ardour to celebrate Durga puja has not diminished.”
However, now apart from the donations by the members, their children too happily contribute to the fund along with the puja grant that is given by the government every year. In the entire process of conducting this Durga puja, men play a crucial role as well, from getting the advertisements to shopping for puja essentials. She comments, “We make sure that the puja is conducted following all the rituals. During the initial years, we even took the initiative of delivering ‘bhog’ to the neighbourhood houses.”
Apart from conducting a successful Durga puja every year with much fervour and hard work, the association does not go back on its social responsibility, and therefore, this year, they have distributed new clothes among children through an NGO and wish to do a lot more.