Kolkata, Oct 12 West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday called upon Durga Puja organisers to uphold traditional religious practices and spiritualism during the festival, urging them to avoid unhealthy competition and preserve the neighbourhood spirit of the celebrations.
Inaugurating the Tala Prottoy Durga Puja in north Kolkata, Adhikari called for a renewed emphasis on spiritualism and said the goddess should be worshipped in accordance with Sanatani traditions.
He also recited hymns and shlokas in praise of Durga.
The chief minister cautioned against “unhealthy competition” among Puja organisers and said the state government, along with agencies such as the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the police, were working to ensure smooth celebrations across the state.
“I commend the organisers to recreate a homely, neighbourhood atmosphere in this Puja,” he told the Tala Prottoy organisers in the presence of local BJP MLA Ritesh Tewari.
At the inauguration of Chorbagan Sarbojanin, around 2 km away, Adhikari again called for adherence to ‘shastriya parampara’ (scripture-based traditions).
The event was also attended by Kartik Maharaj, a monk associated with the Bharat Sevashram Sangha in Beldanga.
“Spiritualism and ‘parampara’ should guide us this Puja,” Adhikari said, adding that the BJP government was committed to ensuring that Durga Puja was observed in accordance with these traditions.
Accusing the previous TMC and Left Front governments of failing to give due recognition to the man behind the iconic recital of ‘Mahishasura Mardini’, which heralds the advent of Devipaksha and the end of Pitrupaksha, Adhikari said a road would be named after Birendra Krishna Bhadra.
Bhadra’s voice, songs and recitations have been associated with Mahalaya celebrations across generations of listeners.
“Many governments came, but during our Mahalaya show at Eden Gardens, we gave due recognition to his family and descendants,” Adhikari said, adding that Bhadra’s ancestral house would also be renovated appropriately.
The CM also inaugurated a Durga Puja in the city’s Kankurgachi area where the deity was placed at a Saraswati and Kali temple set up by Biswajit Sarkar, whose brother Abhijit was killed allegedly by miscreants sheltered by Trinamool Congress after the 2021 assembly poll results.
In a jibe at former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Adhikary said while inaugurating the Behala ArunodaySamity puja in southern parts, “this year you will not see any smiling picture of the CM across the city in festoons.”
“Also unlike last years we have done away with the carnival where none will have to alute one personality standing in a pavillion along the route/”
Instead the state-sponsored grand Mahalaya programme got global recognition and created records, he said.
Pointing towards the colour of cloth of the pandal, he said “in the Bengal of
Poriborton the colour of saffron, colour of valour and sacrifice and spirituality arre being used in marquees.”
Criticising the TMC government, he said “this time we did not allow anyoe to go out on the day of Pitrupaksha.”
“We will follow the almanac and not allow anyone to dictate,” he said adding consumption of liquor has been banned on the day of Astami.
“Also during the day of immersion the idol will not be lifted by crane,” he said.
Adhikari, who said the festival underscored soiritual awakening, called for sticking to sanatani tradition.
While 12400 pujas are being held this year in city, the number of pujas have gone upto 57400 under BJP rule from 5000 last year, he said.
In a series of inaugurations, Adhikari also offered prayer to the deity at Santoshpur Lake Pally and Chetla Agrani.
“No puja inauguration can take place before Mahalaya and today is the appropriate time for the inauguration with the advent of Devi Paksha,” he said at Santoshpur Lake Pally.
At the Chetla Agrani puja, the CM appreciated “the beautifully executed theme with the idol of Sri Chaitanya placed on the side of deity amid the chanting of Hare Krishna Hare Hare”
“From today, I became your friend and our ties will be above political differences. Wish you all the best for the Durga Puja. May the blessings of Durga shower on you all,” he said.
The CM also did ‘arati’ of the goddess with a lighted lamp.
(PTI News)
