Mahasaptami: Thousands visit puja pandals

Festivities commenced with full fervour across West Bengal today on 'Mahasaptami', marking the beginning of the worship of Goddess Durga on her four-day sojourn to her maternal abode.
A sultry morning gave way to dark clouds and one or two showers as the day progressed, but the indomitable spirit of people throughout the state brushed aside these minor hiccups to make the most of Mahasaptami.
Thousands of people from all walks of life poured into the streets and queued in front of puja pandals to view the idols, imaginative decorations and illuminations showcasing themes from the upcoming Under-17 World Cup to a girl child's right to education or just Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck for entertaining kids as the evening set in.

The day began with the taking out of banana plantains-- 'Nabapatrika' (symbolising Lord Ganesha's wife) for a ritual dip at nearest water bodies, with most preferring the river Ganges, as priests made arrangements for the day's worship of the goddess and her celestial family.
After the morning rituals, worshippers offered 'Pushpanjali' (floral libations) to the goddess amid chanting of mantras (hymns) later in the day.
Some popular puja pandals witnessed long queues as people waited patiently to view the intricate artworks that were a result of months of hard work by the community puja organisers vying for awards by different companies and the state government, as well as for viewers' appreciation.

A large number of popular community pandals opened their doors to viewers quite a few days earlier with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurating several of these.

People have been making a beeline for these places since the last weekend, though the four-day Durga Puja formally commenced today.
Durga Puja, which acts as a catalyst for bringing together people from all sections, is also made the most of by political leaders. Names of many heavyweight ministers such as Subrata Mukherjee, Partha Chatterjee, Arup Biswas, Sobhan Chattopadhyay, etc are associated with popular community pujas in the metropolis.
The Met department has forecast one or two spells of rain on Mahastami tomorrow, and there is also a possibility of moderate rain on Mahanavami, which is on Friday.

There is, however, a silver lining in the forecast as an overcast sky over the next two days is likely to bring down day temperatures from 35 degrees Celsius, making pandal- hopping a more pleasant experience for the people turning out in their best attire.
The Kolkata Police personnel, along with those of the city civic police and other volunteers, has been deployed in large numbers near popular community pujas and busy intersections to ensure smooth flow of traffic during the puja days.