Gurgaon set for Durga Puja celebrations with a rural twist

The city is set to celebrate Durga Puja that will start from Friday. Residents are expected to throng pandals across the city to offer prayers to Goddess Durga. Several organisers have tried to add a rural touch to the setting of the pandals.

The city is set to celebrate Durga Puja that will start from Friday. Residents are expected to throng pandals across the city to offer prayers to Goddess Durga. Several organisers have tried to add a rural touch to the setting of the pandals.

A pandal being set up by Sushant Lok Durga Puja Committee theme will showcase the simple lifestyle of rural Bengal. The Pandal has been made out of eco-friendly materials and about 50 craftsmen are working round the clock to give it a beautiful shape. (Parveen Kumar/HT photo)

This year, Bijoya Dashami will be celebrated on October 11.

As the city has a sizable population from Bengal and Odisha, Durga puja celebrations have been a big hit with everyone in Gurgaon over the years.

The celebrations start with erecting huge pandals and worshiping the Durga idol. The pandals are based on a theme every year. There will also be numerous stalls across the city dishing out traditional delicacies from Bengal.

The Sushant Lok Durga Puja Committee will be completing 17 years this time and the theme will showcase the simple lifestyle of rural Bengal. “The Pandal has been made out of eco-friendly materials and about 50 craftsmen are working round the clock to give it a beautiful shape,” Dr Joy Chakraborty, member of the organising committee, said.

“The puja symbolises the triumph of good over evil. This year, the festival starts on October 7 and ends on October 11. The Durga idol is made of jute and mud,” Subir Ghosh, president, Sushant Lok Cultural Society, said.

Greenwood City located in Sector 45 will be celebrating the Durga Puja in traditional ways. “We have got the idol made from Geeta Colony in Delhi. We will be holding cultural celebration in which residents will be showcasing conventional Bengali dance,” Shipra Saynal, resident of Greenwood city, said.

Similarly, the DLF City Durga Puja and Bengali Cultural Society, is celebrating Durga Puja at F Block Community Centre, DLF City Phase 1. “This year, we will celebrate our silver jubilee of Durga Puja, which started in 1992 with a handful of residents,” Ranabir Majumdar of DLF City Durga Puja said.

Maruti Vihar Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity, which was formed in 1991, will be showcasing Bengal with the theme ‘Let’s go Bengal’.

The various committees will be bringing professional artists from Kolkata and Mumbai for the performances.

To promote sports, the Durga Puja committee of South City 2 on Sohna Road has erected the pandal on a sports theme.