Special Ashtami celebrations

At the Banga Sangha Durga Puja pandal in Bhayandar (E), 108 fresh lotus were offered to the deity on Ashtami, the fourth day of the Durga Puja festivities.

At the Banga Sangha Durga Puja pandal in Bhayandar (E), 108 fresh lotus were offered to the deity on Ashtami, the fourth day of the Durga Puja festivities. They were offered as part of the Sandhipuja, marking the end of Ashtami and the beginning of Navami.

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“Devotees thronged the pandal to perform a number of pujas during the day,,” said Rathin Dutta, vice-president of the Banga Sangha pandal.

Durga Puja pandal organisers were also relieved with the extension of the deadline for use of loudspeakers to midnight. “We organised a music concert of traditional Bengali songs with singers from Kolkata. Extra dishes were added to the bhog (community dinner), ensuring that all devotees had a good time,” said Tanmoy Mukhopadhyay, organiser, Milantirtha Durga Puja pandal in Panvel.