A grand Durga Puja is being celebrated by the Bengali community here in Jammu with full enthusiasm, fervour and gaiety.
As festivities continue across the country during Navratris, Jammu Durga Puja Committee, Digiana Industrial Area along with numerous Bengali community members residing here, are celebrating grand Durga Puja celebration.
The worship of Goddess Maa Durga is being performed with traditional Bengali Rituals. The sound of Dhak ( musical instrument), Sanskrit Mantra by Pujari engulfed the mind of devotees. Sandhi Puja on Moha Ashtami was the main attraction. Daily Pushpanjali and Sandhya Aarti draws a huge gathering. The Bengali ladies wearing Red & White Sarees add aura to this festival. The ladies arranged the Puja Upachar and male members whole heartedly joined on hands for other preparations. Daily more than 1000 people were distributed with Puja Mohabhog (Prasad/food of Maa Durga)
Daily Cultural programme performed by local talent at Puja Pandal premises mesmerized the visiting audience.
Shri Rinku Bose, Secretary of the Puja Committee said, “We are organizing this Puja more than 50 years since our father ages. Earlier it was a very small scale within few families. But now it has crossed horizon. There are so many national level institutions came up in Jammu where many Bengali families joined. People from across religion and caste of entire Jammu come here and we cordially welcome them all. We extend greeting to join with us to make this Durga Puja a grand success. This festival is an example of communal harmony.”
Durga Puja is the much-awaited festival of the Bengali community in India. This festival is observed in the month of Ashwin according to the Indian calendar, which falls in September or October in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is celebrated in the last 5 days of Navratri.
Although this is a festival of the eastern region in India, nowadays Durga Puja is celebrated all over the country by various Bengali societies.
Jammu being the summer capital of J&K is the abode of a large population of Bengalis who perform Durga Puja at various places in Jammu every year. The pandals, rituals, food, and the concerts arranged during the Puja can give you a hint of the grand celebration of goddess Durga in West Bengal.