Durga Puja is all about community spirit for Bengalis

CHENNAI: Ask any Bengali what their plans are this weekend and they'll all give you the same answer -'adda' at Durga puja pandals. 'Probashi' or non-resident Bengalis in the city are all set to join the revelry with food, friends and fun but in their own way, unlike the pomp and opulence of Kolkata.
While most Durga puja organising committees in Kolkata splurge on elaborate decor and idols, the ones in Chennai have channelled their energy and resources towards making sure that not just Bengalis, but people from different communities can come together and engage with each other.
The average budget of most associations is between 10-20 lakh, and most of this is spent on organising an elaborate community lunch, also known as 'bhog' cooked by chefs who travel all the way from West Bengal. "In Kolkata, people like to go pandal-hopping to see different idols and decoration as there are elaborate theme-based pujas. But here, we try to keep a homely atmosphere," says Vikram Pal Chaudhuri, vice-president of Dakshini society at Anna Nagar. The association is organising a food festival from October 8-11 where people can enjoy Kolkata-style street food and traditional sweets. Love for traditional food, is said to bind the community. "People come together to celebrate their heritage. No one cooks at home during the festival and we all eat bhog together," says Moloy Kumar Roy, secretary of the Bengal association in T Nagar.
Cultural programmes are the soul of these festivities and this time, members of Dakshini as well as the Bengal association in T Nagar, have been practicing for their respective cultural programmes since July. The participants, all working professionals, take time out to ideate and put up plays, dance-dramas and vocal performances. To add charm to the cultural evenings, the Bengal association and South Madras Cultural Association (SMCA) at Besant Nagar, are inviting artists from Kolkata to perform, apart from encouraging local talent.
Keeping the community spirit alive, these celebrations also see a lot of participation by Gujaratis, Odiyas, Biharis, and Tamils. "The residents here visit, pray and even join us for lunch and this is the whole point of the puja," said Shiv Sankar Roy, treasurer of Uttoron association, Poonamallee.
To make the celebrations inclusive, Dakshin Chennai Probashi Cultural Association (DCPCA) at OMR is inviting children from Arunodaya, a centre for street and working children to be part of the festivities. "This will also help our kids stay grounded," added Raja Mukherjee, one of the founding members at DCPCA.
While meeting the ever-rising costs of organising puja is a constant challenge which the committees face, they also need to ensure proper security for the ever growing number of visitors. Organisers of SMCA are taking help from traffic police and fire department to ensure smooth crowd management during Durga puja which begins on October 7.