Festival with a purpose - Durga Puja pandals reach out for social causes

For spirited Mumbaikars, every festival, including Durga Puja, has a huge number of social and philanthropic activities associated with it. Since the last eight decades, the enthusiastic community of Bengalis too have made sure that they selflessly do their bit for the society as they celebrate this festival.
Women’s empowerment and inclusivity
The Times Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav has been involved in a number of social causes for the past nine years. One of the members Devraj Brahmachari says, “Our organisation was formed with a desire not only to make a difference to the immediate neighbourhood but also to the society at large by way of enhancing cultural and social harmony. We have always believed in the fundamental concepts of giving back to society, women’s empowerment and inclusivity. It is very important to ensure that weaker, marginalized and oppressed sections of society find representation in that main stream cultural landscape. Consequently, in this year’s edition of Times Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav, we have decided to engage with NGOs to provide for a five day Pujo experience to sex workers, their daughters and transgenders.”
Providing medical and financial help
Veteran actor and organiser of North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti, Vile Parle, Debu Mukherjee says, "With the funds that are collected for Durga Puja, we provide medical help to the members, workers, volunteers and their family who are involved with us. Workers in building pandals and workers involved in cooking are provided with financial help. Apart from that whoever comes to us for medical help we provide them after going through small official procedures."
Working for especially-abled people
Powai's Spandan Sharadotsav has always balanced their socio–cultural vision and the philanthropic mission of Spandan Foundation during the puja. One of the active members Indraneel Ghosh says, “The past five years have seen Powai Sharadotsav bringing into focus socially relevant themes like: Empowering Women - Dugga Amar (2013), Yuva Shakti Nava Shakti (2014), Rediscovering Roots (2015) Celebrating our Elders - Janak Janani Utsav(2016) and Amritsya Putra- Caring for Ophan kids (2017)." In its sixth year, Powai Sharadotsav2018 is being curated around the theme of Especially Abled People. He adds, “They live a very challenging life and many often see their ‘disability’ as their ‘inability’. People have preconceived notions about their capabilities. Merely using the word ‘divyang’ or ‘differently-abled’ won’t change the psyche of the masses towards them. Powai Sharadotsav is focusing on the abilities and achievement of these differently abled-people so that society comprehends the truth: it is the ability that matters."
Taking care of underprivileged physically challenged children
Bombay Durga Bari Samiti is one of the oldest Durga Pujas of Mumbai, is into its 88th year. President of the group, Jayanta Kumar Basu says that being a charitable institution first and foremost, the Samiti keenly pursues various philanthropic initiatives. We are into granting scholarships to needy and deserving students. We support the Society for Education of the Crippled, Agripada. We contribute to Bapnu Ghar, an institute for the care of destitute women , support Bombay Institute for the Deaf and Mute , that takes care of underprivileged physically challenged children, with a focus on the deaf and the mute and donate to Pranab Kanya Sangha to aid them in building an additional dormitory and a washroom at their residential hostel for girl students in Nallasopara. We also distribute food packets and T-shirts for underprivileged children and provide healthcare facilities.”
Empowering women, conducting camps and donating vehicles for hospitals
The Bengal Club, Shivaji Park, into its 83rd year is one of the oldest pujas in the city. It has always been involved in social activities, right from beach cleaning, empowering women’s through sports, providing free cricket coaching for women’s cricketers at its Shivaji Park ground to conducting various diabetes detection, blood donation and eye check-up camps. Prasoon Rakshit one of the senior members of the committee said, “We donated a multi-utility passenger vehicle to Ramakrishna Mission and Math for the facilitation of medical supplies to a tribal village Sakwar in Thane. Another multi-utility passenger vehicle has also been donated to Bharat Sevashram, Vashi to aid their cause of caring for cancer patients. We have donated new clothes and financial assistance to Uttarakhand flood affected people.”
Charitable dispensaries and promoting sustainable health
Kallol Durgotsav 2018, Goregaon is into its 54th Year and the secretary Utpal Chaudhuri along with the numerous members has left no stone unturned to ensure that they continue to support all the social causes this year too. They are organizing events, functions and social activities that bring light to our heritage and culture. He adds, "Establishing a charitable homeopathic and allopathic dispensary to ensure that we promote sustainable wellness and health in our community and provide such services whenever needed, building a resourceful library with wide collection of books and publications from various domains to promote continuous learning and leisure for our library members and well-wishers, providing education aid to needy students are our activities that are made possible due to the continued engagement of individual and corporate patrons."
Committed to social causes
Bivas Maiti, president of Navi Mumbai Bengali Association which is into its 39th year, says, “Durga Puja is the ultimate platform for us to demonstrate our core values of social commitment towards the people. When we come together to make things happen, dreams do come true. Our members have proven that such ambitious social and cultural projects are possible only if we collaborate and trust each other.”