Kolkata: Soaking in the spring festive fervour, several households in Kolkata celebrated Annapurna Puja, Basanti Puja and Ram Navami with traditional pomp and gaiety over the weekend.
Though fewer houses order Durga idols for Basanti Puja, the artists of Kumartuli have been celebrating the festival with vigour since the past 75 years. Indrajit Paul, a Kumartuli artist, recalled how his grandfather started the celebrations there. “Many say that Basanti Puja was the original puja of the goddess, which is observed in the spring. The rituals are also the same. This also coincides withAnnapurna Puja,” Paul said. The puja will continue till April 8, which marks the Dashami.
Many believe that the puja is a reminder of the value of each food grain. According to locals, it was Bhavananda Majumdar, the founder of the Nadia dynasty, who introduced the puja in Bengal.
Income tax lawyer Kumarjit Das and his wife Ivy Dasgupta, residents of Bijoygarh, have continually organised Annapurna Puja at their house since 2008, and this year was no different. Ivy said Annapurna is worshipped to ensure that “no one goes hungry.” The rituals included offering of prayers to the Goddess, lighting of 108 diyas, and serving her ‘bhog’ with rice, five varieties of vegetable curries, chutney and papad.
Tanaya Roychowdhury, whose family has been organising Annapurna puja for 135 years at Lakshmi Dutta Lane in Baghbazar, said, “The festival teaches us the value of food and reminds us not to waste it. On this day, we express gratitude to Maa Annapurna for keeping us nourished and alive.” Initiated in 1890 by Girishchandra Ghosh’s friend Lakshminarayan Dutta, the theme of this puja is service to the people. Some residential complexes, including Silver Spring, celebrated Ram Navami. They conducted ‘Hanuman Chalisa path,’ offered prayers and distributed sweets.
Though fewer houses order Durga idols for Basanti Puja, the artists of Kumartuli have been celebrating the festival with vigour since the past 75 years. Indrajit Paul, a Kumartuli artist, recalled how his grandfather started the celebrations there. “Many say that Basanti Puja was the original puja of the goddess, which is observed in the spring. The rituals are also the same. This also coincides withAnnapurna Puja,” Paul said. The puja will continue till April 8, which marks the Dashami.
Many believe that the puja is a reminder of the value of each food grain. According to locals, it was Bhavananda Majumdar, the founder of the Nadia dynasty, who introduced the puja in Bengal.
Income tax lawyer Kumarjit Das and his wife Ivy Dasgupta, residents of Bijoygarh, have continually organised Annapurna Puja at their house since 2008, and this year was no different. Ivy said Annapurna is worshipped to ensure that “no one goes hungry.” The rituals included offering of prayers to the Goddess, lighting of 108 diyas, and serving her ‘bhog’ with rice, five varieties of vegetable curries, chutney and papad.
Tanaya Roychowdhury, whose family has been organising Annapurna puja for 135 years at Lakshmi Dutta Lane in Baghbazar, said, “The festival teaches us the value of food and reminds us not to waste it. On this day, we express gratitude to Maa Annapurna for keeping us nourished and alive.” Initiated in 1890 by Girishchandra Ghosh’s friend Lakshminarayan Dutta, the theme of this puja is service to the people. Some residential complexes, including Silver Spring, celebrated Ram Navami. They conducted ‘Hanuman Chalisa path,’ offered prayers and distributed sweets.
