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Durga Puja
celebration in Mumbai
On Durgostav, Mumbaikars all over the city welcomed Goddess Durga amidst
much fanfare and cheer. The first day of Navi Mumbai's Vashi Sarvajanik Durga puja, which is the
most expensive (Rs 3 crore) puja in Vashi, turned out to be more than magnificent. With thousands of devotees pouring into the grounds at Sector 10A, to
catch a glimpse of the country's tallest Durga idol, the atmosphere was filled with a unique festive energy.
All those who visited the Vashi Sarjavanik Durga puja pandal, a replica
of Kolkata's Dakshineshwar temple, were amazed at the 100ft pandal, built over 3000sq m. The pandal was made using recyclable eco-friendly
items. Highly-skilled artisans from rural Bengal had been called to make this 26-foot idol of Durga mata.
Durga Puja in Mumbai and its suburbs being celebrated at 100 marquees this year, with themes ranging from Anna
Hazare`s anti-corruption movement to Rabindranath Tagore and Swami Vivekananda. Some organisers are splurging as much as Rs.20 million.
Thane district has major Durga Puja venues in Thane city, Vasai, Nalasopara, Bhayander and Navi Mumbai.
Major venues in Mumbai include Charni Road, Kalbadevi, Shivaji Park,
Bandra, Kandivali, Chembur and Powai. Nearly a dozen of them are organised on extensive budgets, ranging from
Rs.5 million to Rs.20 million, while the rest are modestly estimated, ranging from Rs.400,000 to Rs.2 million.
A few Bengali goldsmiths initiated the Durga Puja tradition here 91
years ago in 1920 and now it has become a major calendar event here in the country`s commercial capital.
Star-studded Durga Puja
The puja organised by Rani Mukherji and Kajol, with a 15-ft idol, is air- conditioned and the stars and common devotees join together for the
afternoon `prasad` in its cool comforts. Playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya will host a star-studded mega-budget event at his Durga pandal in Andheri with a 21-ft tall idol.
Ace director Basu Chatterjee continues to be the moving force behind the Bandra Durga Puja.
Rani informs that Durga pujo is the time when the whole Mukerji family comes together to celebrate. But this year, it is even more special as
her dad, filmmaker Ram Mukerji will be able to participate in it. She says that Durga pujo always had a special significance in her life
because it signifies worshipping Shakti. “It’s also a celebration of womanhood, a goddess triumphing over an asura symbolising victory over
evil. It’s a celebration of womanhood and an acknowledgement that stree Shakti is the most powerful force in the world,” says
Rani. |
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Mumbai Diary
(October 4, 2011) 
