Bengali community gears up for Durga Puja

Nashik: As the Durga Puja celebrations begin today, the Bengali community is geared up for the festival with traditional grandeur and devotion. The festival is celebrated from Mahashashthi to Mahadashmi (Dasara). Different organisations and groups in Nashik are preparing to host cultural events, traditional programmes and bhog (prasad) for the visitors. Nashik Sarbojanin Durga Pooja Committee Trust -- one of the oldest organisations in North Maharashtra -- has organised various programmes and invited artists from Mumbai and Bengal. “This is our 69th year and we are organising a big celebration. We are expecting more than 3,500 visitors per day. Authentic food will be served and traditional programmes will be held during the event,” Sujoy Gupta, the president of the trust said. Udayan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Sevabhavi Sanstha will be celebrating Durga Puja for the 14th year. It is organising the celebrations at Bharat Sevasharm Sangha in Tapovan. Rajesh Shelke, the vice president of the Sanstha, said this organisation was of the families, mostly Bengalis, from Ozar township and the artisans working with goldsmiths in Nashik. “The organisation was formed by Partho Lehri, Anupam (Manas) Samanta and me. We initially started with small programmes. We are into social service, including providing education aid to deprived children. Though we have non-Bengali members, as well, all the authentic traditions and rituals are followed. There is no compromise on the rituals and tradition, including food,” Shelke said. Banga Sanjog Foundation will be celebrating the 10th year of Durga Puja at Annapoorna Hall, Nandanvan Lawns, Savarkar Nagar. While inviting the Nashikites to the programme, Animesh Mukherjee, the secretary of Durga Pooja Mahotsav of the Banga Sanjog Foundation, said, “We are inviting all the citizens to come and seek the blessings of Maa Durga, enjoy the Bengali delicacies and be a part of celebrations for the five days with the artists coming from Bengal.” Celebrating the 21st year of Durga Pooja, Sourabh Bhowmick, one of the organisers from Nashik Bangiya Parishad, said this is a special occasion for the community to cherish after the two years indoors due to Covid. “We are all ready to welcome Durga Ma to her home at ‘Kali Bari’ for five days and serve her with enthusiasm. We hope the citizens will join us in the celebrations,” said Bhowmick.