A Bangladesh government circular asking Hindus to stop or limit the use of loudspeakers during daily Muslim prayers infringes on religious freedom, leaders of the minority group said as their community prepared to celebrate the Durga Puja festival.
Pandal hoppers throng streets of Kolkata.They are enjoying the art work and the deity in pandals.Here is the glimpse of one such pandal in south Kolkata which draws huge crowd
Kolkata is famous for it’s carnival like atmosphere and themed based festivals.One such famous organizer of Autumn Festival
In Kolkata, Durga Puja is much more carnival than religious festival.Each pandal or wooden structure has it’s unique creativity.Though the famous Autumn Festival of Kolkata will start from October 4, the city is already transformed into a carnival.Panda hoppers throng into sandals from the morning
Though officially not yet open to public, pandal hoppers still visit pandals in different parts of Kolkata.Generally, public thronged the pandals from chaturthi the fourth day of Navaratri but the official beginning of the puja is from 4 October, Sasthi, the sixth day of full moon.Shiv Mandir is one of the best known festival organizers in Kolkata
The preparation is in full swing to face the festival which will start from 4 October. Durga puja is celebrated with joy all over India especially in West Bengal
After the prayers, the Prasad (sacred food) is distributed. Priests perform rituals by chanting religious verses.Bengalies prefer non-vegetarian foods during the festival
For most Bengalis the countdown for Autumn Festival, the biggest festival of Bengal begins. As the festival is now only few days (Oct. 4-8) away, preparations have started in full swing. For tourists who want to visit Calcutta during this festive season, we have some suggestions for pandal hooping. For best idols and pandals, you must visit the following places
The 10 handed Goddess Durga made up of clay is on top of a lion.Her hands carry different weapons in them except two which holds the spear which has been struck into the chest of Mahishasura (demon)
Dhakis or Drummers are the intregal part of any puja (worship) in India.In West Bengal,they are basically farmers or agricultural workers or rickshaw puller or any other manual job to earn a living.