Durga Puja festivities begin as Sudipa and Agnidev Chatterjee perform kathamo puja on Ulto Rath

Every year on Rath Yatra, Sudipa and Agnidev Chatterjee make a trip to Kumartuli for the kathamo puja, after which the artisan starts making the Durga idol. However, this year, the kathamo puja took place on Ulto Rath.
“This will be 130^th year of Durga Puja at our home. As it was ambubachi on Rath Yatra, we avoided doing anything auspicious on that day and decided to do the kathamo puja on Ulto Rath instead.Otherwise, on Rath Yatra, we offer bhog to Lord Jagannath and then go to Kumartuli for thakurer baina (ordering for the idol with some token money). On Radha Asthami, we do sindoor daan on the kathamo (the bamboo and straw frame of the idol) as that’s our family tradition. But, this year we couldn’t perform that ritual, said Sudipa.

Sudipa started the day with Ganga puja. “The kathamo puja and Ganga nimantran happened after that within a very restricted time as we were supposed to finish everything before Jagannath Dev Mahapravu reached Puri temple. Today, we offered bhog to Lord Jagannath after coming back home as that’s a tradition,” said Sudipa, adding, “I hope Ma Durga brings smile on everyone’s faces amid this crisis.”