Mumbai's 1.25 million Bengalis are all set to celebrate Durga Puja,
starting Oct 20, with a liberal dose of Bollywood glamour with
celebrities and commoners converging for the community's biggest
religious festival in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and other suburban towns.
This
year, the themes of most 'sarvajanik' (community) Durga pujas revolve
around Swami Vivekananda, whose 150th birth anniversary is being
celebrated during 2012-13, and environment awareness in view of the
ecological disasters looming over humanity, said community historian and
social worker Prasanta Kundu.
The celebrations this time have an
added zest and pride as a Bengali has come to occupy the country's
highest post for the first time - President Pranab Mukherjee.
"The
entire community is proud, happy and pray for President Pranabda
Mukherjee who has brought such a great honour to all of us," retired
Bollywood actor Biswajit, told IANS.
At the Juhu Scheme
Sarvanajik Durgotsav Samiti, which will attract over 50,000 people to
worship the 14 feet tall idol, Biswajit has organised an exhibition of
'100 Years of Indian Cinema' - "It is my salute to the centenary of
Indian Cinema," smiled the actor.
The star-studded festivities
shall be held at around 105 public marquees, up from 98 last year (2011)
and 85 the previous year (2010) and estimated total spending would be
around Rs.45 crore this year in view of inflation and galloping fuel
prices, Kundu told IANS.
Starting Oct 20, Shashthi (sixth day),
and ending Oct 24, Maha-Dashami, the Durga Puja will seen the
enthusiastic participation of Bengalis living and working in Mumbai and
members of other communities.
But one major personality will be missed during the Durga Puja season - Joy Mukherjee, who died earlier this year.
According to Kundu, Joy's widow and son will carry forward his tradition in Juhu.
Incidentally,
the famed north Bombay Sarvajanik Durgotsav, started by actress Rani
Mukherjee's family, has been forced to shift her celebrations to a
five-star hotel this year as the regular venue, Balkan-ji Bari, was not
available.
In its 57th year now, it will be now held with the
usual pomp and show at the Tulip Star Hotel in Juhu, and the highlight
would be Rani and Kajol personally serving the 'bhog' to the devotees on
the second day.
Playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya will host a
star-studded mega-budget event at his Durga pandal in Andheri with a
21-feet tall idol.
Ace director Basu Chatterjee will continue to
be the moving force behind the Bandra Durga Puja, started many decades
ago by legendary filmmaker Shakti Samanta.
The Ramkrishna Mission
at Khar is the only venue where a pre-puberty girl is worshipped as
Goddess Durga in a 'Kumari Puja' on Ashtami Day, which is a major draw
among devotees, said social activist M. Bose.
Only the Bengal
Club's Durga celebration at Shivaji Park will have all functions during
the day, adhering to the noise pollution restrictions recommended by the
Bombay High Court.
In Sion, Indian Air Force personnel will
organise a 'puja' in a small way with a low budget, while Indian Navy
personnel hold it in Navy Nagar, and Air India staffers at Juhu.
In Goregaon, a sarvajanik puja is organised by an all-women association.
Nearly
a dozen of the big pujas 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, Kundu added.
Since
this is the biggest public festival after the 10-day Ganeshotsav which
ended earlier this month, the Mumbai police and individual associations
have made elaborate security arrangements for the Navrati-Durga Puja
events.
Aiming to outdo each other, a Durgotsav association in
Navi Mumbai has planned a 'Shah Rukh Khan Live' night at the marquee
which has evoked mixed reactions from the community members.
While
some feel it is a good way of paying tribute during the centenary year
of Indian cinema, others opine that religion and entertainment should
not be mixed.
A few Bengali goldsmiths initiated the Durga Puja
tradition here 92 years ago (in 1920) in a modest way to keep alive
their traditions back home. Today, it has become a major calendar event
in the country's commercial capital.
Spread far and wide in the
city, suburbs and adjoining districts of Thane and Raigad, major
Durga-pujas are held in Vasai-Virar, Dadar-Parel, Mira Road-Bhayender,
Chembur, Thane city, Vashi, Ambernath, Seawoods, Andheri-Bandra and
Grant Road.
Another big association, the Durgabari Samiti, which
holds its function at Tejpal Hall off the August Kranti Maidan, is
frequented by top Bengali corporate heads, bureaucrats, police officers
and other celebrities.
Pragati at Vasai-East, which is known for
its topical themes, is planning a theme of the birth anniversary of
Swami Vivekananda, said one of the organisers, M. Bose.
