Page 4 - Durga Puja

Bank holiday: In October, banks will remain closed for total 21 days

Starting today (October 3), the banks in some cities will remain closed for the entire week because of festivals

5 dead, 67 injured after Durga Puja 'pandal' fire in UP's Bhadohi

Forty-two people were injured in a fire in a Durga Puja Pandal here on Sunday evening, officials said. "A total of 42 people were injured in a fire at Durga Puja Pandal under Aurai Police Station area. The matter is being investigated," District Magistrate Gaurang Rathi said. The DM along with other senior officials of the district reached the spot to oversee the rescue efforts. Nine people were admitted in a local hospital, while 33 others with serious burn injuries were referred to a hospital in nearby Varanasi. An official of the fire department said that the incident occurred around 9.30 pm when an aarti was being performed. Around 300 people were inside the Pandal at the time of the incident.. Prima facie, an electric short circuit is believed to be the cause of fire.

Gandhi look-alike 'Asura' idol at Kolkata puja pandal stokes controversy

A Durga idol in Kolkata in which the 'Mahisasura' was replaced by a crudely-crafted Mahatma Gandhi-look alike created controversy on the birth anniversary of the father of the nation. Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, organisers of the puja near Ruby Crossing in southwest Kolkata, changed the appearance of the idol that looked like Gandhi following instructions from the police after a complaint was lodged. The organisers said the similarities were "just a coincidence". According to mythology, Goddess Durga slew Mahusasur in an epic battle to end his evil reign. "The Durga idol that was worshipped here initially had a Mahisasur whose face looked similar to that of Mahatma Gandhi. The similarities are just a coincidence. After photos of it went viral, a police team visited the pandal and asked us to change the face," Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha state working President Chandrachur Goswami told PTI on Sunday. A journalist had earlier in the day tweeted a photograph of the Durga ido

Festive demands up airfares by 20-30% on key routes across country

The hike in airfare prices is a result of the increased cost of aviation turbine fuel, according to ixigo's data

Braving rains, lakhs throng pandals in West Bengal on Maha Saptami

Braving overcast skies and intermittent rains, lakhs of people hit the brightly illuminated streets in the city and elsewhere in West Bengal on Maha Saptami to see the exquisitely crafted idols of the goddess and her progeny. The number of pandal hoppers looked bigger on Maha Saptami, officially the first day of the four-day fsetival, than on the previous two days when the marquees were opened in advance for the enthusiastic public. Large crowds were seen near popular Puja pandals like Sribhumi Sporting Club, Santosh Mitra Square, College Square, Chetla Agrani, Ahiritola Sarbojonin, Kumortuli Sarbojonin, Hati Bagan Sarbojonin, Baghbazar Sarbojonin, Hindustan Park, Kashi Bose Lane, Mudiali Sarbojonin, 95 Pally, Jodhpur Park to name a few among the large number of big ticket pujas in the city. The giant 'ekchala' traditional idol at Baghbazar Sarbojonin attracted lakhs of viewers and Kolkata police and club volunteers worked hard to prevent any stampede-like situation. "As it rained

Let's build society where women command more respect: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday greeted citizens on the eve of Durga Puja and asked them to build a society where women command respect and they get to contribute equally in the process of nation building. On the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all the fellow citizens living in India and abroad, she said. Maa Durga is Shakti Swarupa and this festival is an opportunity to show respect towards women power, the president said. A society where women empowerment is encouraged at every level in a true sense can be considered to be a modern, developed and just society, Murmu said. The nine forms of Goddess Durga symbolise the infinite power of mother nature, she added. I wish the spirit of unity and fraternity is strengthened in our society through the festival of Durga Puja. Let us build a society where women are respected more and more and they are able to contribute equally in the process of nation building, President Murmu said. I

Durga puja artisans in Assam see bleak prospects amid budget cuts

The deft hands of 67-year-old artisan, Tapas Pal, move with ease as he moulds the clay to give shape to divine forms at his workshop in Pandu area here but budget cuts, after two years of COVID-19 crisis, are leaving the idol-maker and his ilk dispirited. Pal is worried that this year, too, business may see no revival amid rising prices of raw materials and shortage of labourers, with several organisers having curtailed their spending. "We faced immense difficulties in the last two years due to the pandemic-induced lockdown. Last year, the administration's directive to mark the occasion with small-sized Durga idols had adversely affected our earnings," Pal told PTI. "Prices of raw materials -- clay, hay, wood and even costumes and jewellery -- have skyrocketed post pandemic but organising committees are not prepared to pay more," he lamented. Artisans in the potters' colony in the western part of the city are still burning the midnight oil to ensure that idols of Goddess Durga and

Durga puja artisans struggle with budget cuts, rising costs in Assam

The deft hands of 67-year-old artisan, Tapas Pal, move with ease as he moulds the clay to give shape to divine forms at his workshop in Pandu area here but budget cuts, after two years of COVID-19 crisis, are leaving the idol-maker and his ilk dispirited. Pal is worried that this year, too, business may see no revival amid rising prices of raw materials and shortage of labourers, with several organisers having curtailed their spending. "We faced immense difficulties in the last two years due to the pandemic-induced lockdown. Last year, the administration's directive to mark the occasion with small-sized Durga idols had adversely affected our earnings," Pal told PTI. "Prices of raw materials -- clay, hay, wood and even costumes and jewellery -- have skyrocketed post pandemic but organising committees are not prepared to pay more," he lamented. Artisans in the potters' colony in the western part of the city are still burning the midnight oil to ensure that idols of Goddess Durga and

Heavy rains may lash Kolkata during Durga Puja, organisers on tenterhooks

Durga Puja in Kolkata and southern West Bengal districts is likely to be rain-drenched this year with the Met department on Tuesday saying that a cyclonic circulation may form over northwest Bay of Bengal on October 1. Regional Met director GK Das said that the system is likely to cause heavy rain in Kolkata and other southern districts on October 2 -- Mahasaptami, the first day of the four-day festival. "Rainfall is likely on all four days of the festival, with heavier precipitation on October 2 and light to moderate rain till October 5 thereafter," Das said. The cyclonic circulation may intensify after formation on October 1, he said. The community puja organisers said they are taking all precautions to save the pandals and artwork. Bikash Majumder, the secretary of College Square Puja committee, said "We don't have control over nature but I am hopeful Maa Durga will ensure that we can celebrate the puja in a grand manner as in pre-pandemic times and there is no ...

Death toll rises to 39 in Bangladesh boat capsize, several missing

Bangladeshi authorities were racing against time on Monday to find any survivors of the boat accident involving Hindu devotees, even as the death toll in the incident rose to at least 39, mostly children and women. The devotees were heading towards the Bodeshwari Temple on the occasion of Mahalaya, the auspicious start of the Durga Puja festival, when the over-crowded boat capsized in the Korotoa River in the country's northwestern Panchagarh district. "Our rescuers retrieved nine more bodies (overnight)... search is continuing," a fire service official told reporters at the scene. Some bodies were found in a river in Dinajpur. The bodies had reportedly washed away due to strong current, another official said. Panchagarh Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Dipankar Roy said that a total of 39 bodies have been recovered so far. Among them, 11 are children, 21 are women and 7 are men, the Bdnews24.com reported. Media reports quoting relatives said 58 passengers were missing whi

Ad spends likely to get double-digit boost as festive cheer returns

Ad spend projected to be Rs 30,000 crore this time - growth of 15% over last year's Rs 26,000 crore

Durga puja celebrations should not be inconvenience to anyone: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said Durga Puja committees in the state must take measures to ensure that pedestrian and vehicular traffic movement are regulated well without anyone having to encounter much hassle. Inaugurating Sribhumi Sporting club puja in Lake Town area, along VIP road, the CM told her ministerial colleague Sujit Bose that she won't hesitate to act if the crowd-puller pandal inconveniences common people be it revelers or airport-borne public. "Puja committees must ensure that vehicular and pedestrian movements do not face too many obstructions or hassles," the CM said. Last year, curtains had to be drawn on Sribhumi puja on the day of Astami, as the place went choc-a-bloc for days with revelers from far and wide turning up to take a look at the Burj Khalifa-themed Durga puja marquee. "I will be monitoring the situation from home. Hence, my action will be prompt and swift. Being the minister, I am sure you will certainly see to it that ...

Calcutta HC gives govt conditional approval for grants to Puja committees

A division bench of the Calcutta High Court gave conditional approval to the West Bengal government to offer donations worth Rs 60,000 crore to 43,000 community Durga Puja committees in the state

Delhi Jal Board holds meet; to build artificial ponds for idols' immersion

Discussions were held on pragmatic ways to abate the pollution in the Yamuna that is found to increase after immersion of idols after the puja

What the UNESCO heritage tag could mean for the Durga Puja ecosystem

The crafts around the festival - from the idol-making at Kumartuli to the handicrafts that revolve around it - will get a huge boost, says the art historian

Mamata Banerjee rallies to celebrate UNESCO tag for Kolkata's Durga Puja

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday took part in a colourful rally to thank UNESCO for according the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) tag to Durga Puja. Representatives of more than 1,000 Durga Puja committees took part in the rally that began in the Jorasanko area in north Kolkata. The TMC supremo led the rally, and was accompanied by party colleagues Firhad Hakim, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Aroop Biswas and Shashi Panja which will end on Red Road. "I would like to thank UNESCO for according ICH tag to Durga Puja. From today onwards, our festivities have begun one month in advance. I welcome people from all walks of life to participate in the rally, and thank everyone watching this rally from around the world," she said, while inaugurating the rally. Before the rally, Banerjee described Durga Puja as an emotion of the Bengalis that unites people above the "parochial barriers" "Durga Puja is an emotion that rises above parochial barriers and brings us together. It .

West Bengal: Mamata hikes donation for Durga puja clubs by Rs 10k to Rs 60k

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hiked the donation amount for each club organising Durga Puja to Rs 60,000 from last year's Rs 50,000, besides announcing a 60 per cent rebate on electricity bills. She also said that state government employees would be entitled to a 11-day leave on the occasion of Durga pujathe biggest festival in Bengal from September 30. Banerjee said her government would take out a rally on September 1 to thank UNESCO for according the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) tag to the festival. "The Centre is not releasing funds for the state. Despite that, we will increase donations for the clubs from last year's Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. We will also provide them a rebate of 60 per cent on the electricity bill," Banerjee said. She stressed that the September 1 rally would have no political agenda, and anybody and everybody was free to join it. "I will invite 10,000 students from senior schools to be part of this rally," she said at an ...

Kolkata Durga puja bags UNESCO heritage tag; PM, CM hail move

The UNESCO on Wednesday accorded heritage status to Kolkata's Durga puja festival, bringing glory to the country, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lauding the move. "Durga puja in Kolkata has just been inscribed on the intangible heritage list. Congratulations India," the organisation said in a tweet attaching a photo of the goddess with hashtag living heritage'. Modi has hailed UNESCO's decision as a "matter of great pride and joy for every Indian". "Durga Puja highlights the best of our traditions and ethos. And, Kolkata's Durga Puja is an experience everyone must have," he said. The chief minister underlined that Durga puja was not just a festival, but an emotion. "Proud moment for Bengal! To every #Bengali across the world, Durga Puja is much more than a festival, it is an emotion that unites everyone. And now, #DurgaPuja has been added to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. We are all beaming with joy!" she

Durga Puja violence: Govt committed to saving citizens, says Bangladesh FM

While regretting the incidents of violence, the minister informed that the Sheikh Hasina government took immediate action against the perpetrators.

Bangladesh's dysfunctional secularism

The communal violence in Bangladesh has been reduced to a law and order problem, ignoring its political nature