Giving final shape to the supreme warrior
Lucknow may be famous the world over as the City of the Nawabs and Kebabs, but in the heart of the city lies a mini Bengal which basks in the glory of Durga for four straight days. The area has an added feather to its cap as one of the Puja Committees is as Old as the Quit India Movement in the country.
For Lucknow the time of Durga Puja brings back memories of the struggle for Independence. While India’s bravehearts were rooting out Britishers from Indian territory, a Durga Puja in the heart of Lucknow was born.
In the year 1942, the foundation of the Jogendra Pathak Road Sarbojanin Durga Puja was laid. Over a span of seven decades, the Durga Puja has retained its own unique identity.
The Puja here is celebrated with great fanfare. The colony where the Puja is held every year has a large Bengali presence and youngsters in large numbers have taken up the baton to organize the grand event. While the rituals are being carried out by the association over generations, the novelty of the Puja remains intact.
An embodiment of power – Durga
The two senior members of the Puja committee are Hemandra Nath Sanyal popularly known as Rana da and Debnath Banerjee alias Bhobuda, who still take part in the Durga Puja celebrations.
With a string of Puja associations organizing Puja. Special craftsmen deck up pandals with thematic lights. Idols have been done up by locals artisans and some specially made to order by craftsman from Kumartoli.
Women are seen flaunting red and white bangles along with Bengali ethnic sarees and men in dhuti Panjabi. Elders and youngsters are seen exchanging pleasantries with the Kemon achho and Bhalo acchhi common place, the background score is Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s Mahishasura Mardini. Huge gates at the crossings add to the festive spirit.
The area being mentioned is the biggest hub of Durga Puja celebrations in the city with six pandals within a 1km stretch.
The puja organised by Bengali Club and Youngmen’s Association is the oldest. While puja at Mitro Sangho Committee at Model House Park was started in 1975. Similarly, Boys Anglo Bengali Inter-College, Vidyant Hindu Degree College and Shashi Bhushan College has been organising the puja for past many years.
The Mother Supreme
Some are up throughout the night to hang- out with friends and meet and seek blessings from elders, while paying obeisance to Ma Durga.
Meanwhile demonetisation and GST have robbed the sheen off Durga Puja festivities this year with majority Durga Puja committees facing the pinch of cash crunch reflected in pandal decorations.
People do not have money to spare for Puja this year while the cost of raw material has gone up.
The worst affected is Model House Durga Puja Committee which has decided not to organise Puja celebrations this year.
Model House Durga Puja was one of the prestigious Pujas of the city and had won the first prize for last many years for Pandal decoration.
Most puja committees accept they face huge problems in collection of money as in some pandals, the expenses have gone up anything between Rs 40 and Rs 50 lakh due to demonetization and GST. .
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