Devotees welcome Goddess Durga

Residents are all set to celebrate Durga Puja from today. Pandals are being set up using eco-friendly products such as jute, cloth and cane, aiming at reviving the

Residents are all set to celebrate Durga Puja from today. Pandals are being set up using eco-friendly products such as jute, cloth and cane, aiming at reviving the traditional celebration.

The Bengali community in Thane celebrates Durga Puja with the same fervor of West Bengal. From community meals, cultural programmes to pandal hopping, the festival unites people and communities.

Shubhojit Das, a resident of Airoli who has been making idols of Goddess Durga for 13 years, ensures that every idol is eco-friendly.

“The traditional method of celebration is making idols of clay or mud. We get clay from the banks of River Ganga in Kolkata. Artisans come to the city before the puja to help make idols. The paint used for the idols is also eco-friendly,” said Das.

Das is the third generation in the family who makes such eco-friendly idols using clay, mud, bamboo and dry grass. He is the only one from his family who has settled in this city for his livelihood.

Every year, he focusses on making 20 to 25 idols. Idols made by him are used in three pandals in Thane and one in Vashi.

Bangiya Parishad and Navodaya Sangh in Thane have set the pandal depicting a royal courtyard or Dalanbari.

The main structure is made of mud, hay, jute and bamboo. New Bengal Club and Bangiya Parishad have zero waste wherein they will ensure bhog is not wasted. It will be served to the homeless at railway stations or signals.

New Bengal Club will have a competition of dhunuchi dance on Navami. It has also organised entertainment programmes every evening.

“We are bringing the fervor of Kolkata to the city. The new generation of children has grown up away from their native land and hence it is necessary for them to know more about the traditional celebrations,” said Bratamay Majumdar, Media Head, Bangiya Parishad.