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Bengalis celebrate Durga puja with fervour
For the 45,000 Bengali families in the twin-cities, all roads lead to the Keyes High School in Secunderabad during the Durga Puja celebrations for here most of them meet once a year without fail. Good food, traditional songs including Rabindra Sangeet and the beats of ‘dhakis’ (traditional musicians from Bengal) reverberate making Bengalis in the city throng the place.
Secunderabad: For the 45,000 Bengali families in the twin-cities, all roads lead to the Keyes High School in Secunderabad during the Durga Puja celebrations for here most of them meet once a year without fail. Good food, traditional songs including Rabindra Sangeet and the beats of ‘dhakis’ (traditional musicians from Bengal) reverberate making Bengalis in the city throng the place.
Apart from traditional songs and other celebrations, a wide array of Bengali dishes add glitter to the fest
Parthasarathy Som, who has been a part of the celebrations since 1965, says, “Bengali families come and be a part of Durga Pooja to revel in the atmosphere. On Saptami, Astami and Navami, there is a huge crowd of both Bengalis and non-Bengalis who come to take blessings from the Goddess and relish the ‘Bhog’ which is served during these days.”
If it is a meeting point for many, for Subrata Ganguly, president of Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha, it is a matter of pride to be a part of the celebrations. He said, “It is a matter of extreme pride and I feel that I am blessed to be able to host Durga Pooja in Secunderabad. It is altogether a joyful sight to see men, women and children who come here and enjoy to their hearts content with the beats of ‘Dhakis’ and the delicacies served in the stalls.” He further adds, “All Bengali sweets like Rasgulla, Pantua, Lancha and Rasmali are available in the stalls around.”
However, there is a lot on offer for one and all. There are food stalls that dish out prawns, egg rolls, noodles and several other items. Partho Dasgupta, one of the devotees who has been visiting the pooja at Keyes High School for almost 50 years now, told The Hans India,
“Throughout the year, we do not find time to spend with our friends or our family members, the Puja is a pretext. It lets us meet people with whom we have lost contact long back, which is thoroughly satisfying.”
Sharmistha Dasgupta, another prominent and one of the oldest devotees, said, “The stalls which sells Bengali dresses and traditional Bengali bangles have been attracting the Telugu community too. It is a good sign as India has always been proud of being a pluralistic society and the puja celebrations are a testimony.
By Neelam Shaw
