Catch a glimpse of Vivekananda Memorial at a Mumbai puja pandal

The pandal will be 70 feet high and 100 feet wide, making it the largest pandal of the city, said members of the group.

The Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav powered by Hindustan Times is taking this year’s Durga Pooja celebrations up a notch by replicating Kanyakumari’s Swami Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Hiranandani Gardens in Powai.

Devotees take photos of Durga idols at Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav powered by Hindustan Times on Thursday. (Prashant Waydande/HT)

The pandal will be 70 feet high and 100 feet wide making it the largest pandal of the city, said members of Powai Bengali Welfare Association (PBWA), who are organising the event.

The 11-year-old group expects more than 10 lakh visitors this year, considering that the festival will be celebrated for an extra day. “The theme for this year is retro, in which we would dedicate one night to go back to our old days. We would also pay tribute to music composer RD Burman with performances by 15 musicians, most of whom have performed with him,” said Devraj Brahmachari, a volunteer from the group.

PBWA plans to make the celebrations more attractive for youngsters. “To encourage the youth, we have provided free Wi-Fi zones and a giant digital screen (25ft x 10ft) showing live cultural programs from other pandals across the globe,” Brahmachari said while adding, “We are doing this to bridge tradition with modernity.”

The event would also have a CEO Power Walk, in which around 20 CEOs of top Indian companies would gather to support the cause of women empowerment. The event will be hosted in support of PBWA’s women empowerment NGO – Mission Swayam Siddha. “Along with that, there will be an art photography contest (within the pandal) which would be judged by ace photographer Raghu Rai,” said Brahmachari.

This year, the trust has adopted its third village — Talasari in Palghar district — to provide necessary sources of livelihood to the inhabitants.