Durga Puja marks Goddess Durga's homecoming with her children -- Ganesh, Kartik, Lakshmi and Saraswati. As the city's Bengali population gears for the Maha Saptami celebrations today that will spill onto two more days of revelry, The Guide gives you a dekko of the city's must-visit pandals
The homely Puja
Since 1952, the Ramkrishna Math has been celebrating Durga Puja, in the city. Their Puja is conducted by the monks in residence and the simple celebrations are as per the scriptures and homely. The idol is Ekchala (all deities fitted in a single frame).
At: Ramakrishna Math, 12 Road, Khar (W).
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Durga Puja celebrations. File Pic
Bishnupur recreated
The 78th edition of the Bengal Club Durga Puja will feature a pandal resembling the Bishnupur temple in Paschim Banga. There will be terracotta designs and artisans from Shanti Niketan, who have worked on the decorations. Known for their stalls, this year’s Puja stalls will sell Bengali delicacies aswell as sarees and ethnic artefacts.
At: Shivaji Park, Dadar (W).
Glitter and glamour
The Lokhandwala Durgotsav by singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya kickstarted from October 8 itself will continue till October 15 when the idol will be immersed. Frequented by a lot of Bollywood celebs, it features a diverse Bhog menu by Anjan Chatterjee, stalls by corporates, and a lavish pandal. Watch outfor the cultural programmes, which feature Bollywood singers and the Dhunuchi dance.
At: Lokhandwala Garden, Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri (W).
16-feet-high pandal
The Bengal Trust’s Vashi Sarvajanik Durga Puja pandal will recreate a 16-feet-high Bankura temple of Assam. They will conduct cultural programmes featuring singers like Mahalaxmi Iyer (tonight), Kunal Ganjawala (October 12) and Udit Narayan (October 13). There will be artefacts, textile and food stalls offering Bengali and Chinese treats.
At: Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Football ground, near Mini Seashore, Vashi.
Celebrate Bengali ethos
The 84th edition of the Bombay Durgabari Samiti’s Durga Puja will feature celebrations based on the theme of Bengali ethos. There will be book stalls and the walls will feature information about famous Bengalis. The cultural programmes will include a song and dance programme on Tagore’s songs, a Bengali play and a Bharatnatyam recital.
At: Tejpal Auditorium, near August Kranti Maidan, Grant Road (E).
Mysore temple in Powai
This year, the Powai Bengali Welfare Association’s Durga Puja pandal will be modelled on the Chamundeshwari temple of Mysore. The theme this year is empowering women. There will be a cooking competition, a children’s dance-drama, a Bangla play, a performance by contemporary Kolkata Folk band Bolepur Bluez and a violin recital by Sunita Bhuyan who will also launch her new album (7 pm today). There will also be Alokananda Roy’s Mokshagati: a dance drama by jail inmates.
At: Sarvajanin Durgotsav grounds, Hiranandani Gardens, beside BEST bus stand, Powai.u00a0
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Time: u00a0Pushpanjali 10.30 onwards; Bhog 12.30 pm onwards; Sandhya Aarti 7 pm onwards (Ramakrishna Math timings are earlier)
Till: October 13; immersion is on October 14u00a0
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