The organisers of Mumbai's famous Andheri Lokhandwala Sarvajanin Durgotsav Samiti has sought cooperation of the state government in projecting the state's tourism potential.
Popular Hindi film singer Abhijeet, who is the soul behind Lokhandwala puja, said their theme this year would be Bengal tourism, which, he believed, would help attract tourists to the many beautiful places in the state.
He said the puja organisers had submitted a proposal to the state's tourism minister, Rachhpal Singh, seeking cooperation in executing the theme.
Rachhpal Singh told PTI that, "Abhijeet's proposal is welcome and I hope it will play its part in boosting tourism during festival time."
The puja committee has already started preliminary work on the theme, highlighting the state's rich tradition and culture, the singer said.
The pandal would highlight Darjeeling, Dooars, Digha, Sundarbans and other popular destinations, besides showcasing the state's handloom, handicraft and favourite cuisine including various hilsa dishes, he said.
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Abhijeet said they had purchased last year's prize winning Durga image in Kolkata's Naktala Udayan Sangha for this year's puja at Lokhandawala.
The singer said the image, made by Bhabatosh Sutar, might, however, be returned as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wanted to preserve it in a museum.
"Like previous years, we will try to draw attention of the international crowd, and definitely the probashi (expatriate) Bengali population, with Bengali songs and music," Abhijeet said, adding last year's theme was the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. MORE