Lakhs descend on city roads to celebrate 'Maha Saptami'

Kolkata: Lakhs of people descended on the streets on 'Maha Saptami' to see beautiful idols of Goddess Durga and her children and the exquisite artwork in different pandals on Saturday. In the metropolis beautifully decorated pandals - either replicas of landmarks or portraying some social issues –turned into the hub of activities as long serpentine lines were seen outside them to appreciate the artwork and pray before the idol of the goddess.

In Kolkata, big-ticket pujas like College Square, Ekdalia Evergreen, Sree Bhumi Sporting Club, Baghbazar Sarbojonin, Jodhpur Park, Park Circus Sarbojonin, Santosh Mitra Square, Ahiritola Sarbojonin, Kumartuli Park, Babu Bagan, Deshopriyo Park, BosePukur Sitala Mandir were among the crowd pullers since the morning as crowds swelled as every hour passed by. Bikash Majumdar, spokesperson of College Square Sarbojonin Puja Committee, told PTI "We have been drawing a steady stream of visitors from the day of Tritiya (four days back) which has turned into a surge since Maha Sasthi."

He said on 'Saptami', it took about one hour for the revellers to reach the pandal during the morning hours to appreciate the giant chandelier and beautiful decorations resembling Mysore Palace. Once the dusk descended the crowd swelled twice as the illumination on the adjacent waterbody – resembling animation cartoons – came alive at College Square. Large crowds gathered to have a glimpse of the 'sabeki' (traditional) idols of the goddess at Baghbazar and Maddox Square in two parts of the city – with musical performances happening at the later pandal.

At Belur Math near the city, thousands of devotees gathered to have a glimpse of the goddess. Large crowds were seen before the Burma Shel pandal at Sodepur, Harry Poter Jadunagari at Sukhchar in North 24 Parganas and ITI More pandal at Kalyani in Nadia districts among other crowd-puller pandals in the districts. To the accompaniment of 'dhak' (traditional drum), puja committee members took the 'kala bou' depicted as the wife of Lord Ganesha draped in a white saree to nearby waterbodies. Pujas were held in households like the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family, Sovabazar Rajbari, Sukiya Street Srimani Bari, Hatkhola Dutta Bari, Chhatubabu Latubabu Bari among others.

NGOs took elderly citizens of different old age homes to landmark puja pandals to give them a taste of the festivities, and the latest changes in decorations during the day. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wished the people of the state on the occasion of Maha Saptami. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also wished the people on the occasion