Kolkata's New Town Community Pujo Will Have All-Women Teams Of Priests And Dhakis

New Town's Sarbojanin Durga Puja, will have all-women teams of priests and dhakis (drummers).

Located on the northeastern fringes of Kolkata, it is the first community Durga Puja in the satellite township.

4 Women Priests And 12 Women Drummers

The Puja, which will focus on 'Mother Bengal' and women empowerment will comprise all-women teams of priests, dhakis, and performers.

Samaresh Das, secretary of the Durga Puja committee said, "All four priests of the puja are women, as are the 12 'dhakis' and around a dozen performers of 'Dhunuchi Naach',"PTI reported.

Dhunuchi Naach is a dance performed during evening aarti to thank the Goddess Durga. In this dance, dancers perform to the beats of ‘dhaak’ while balancing clay bowls with charcoal, coconut husk, and powdered incense in their mouths and hands.

Theme For Puja

The puja is focused on ‘Banga Janani’ (Mother Bengal) and it will showcase the traditional art and culture of the state.

“The theme is a collage of different handicrafts of West Bengal. Wooden dolls, dokra and terracotta items, Manasa Ghot, Chhau masks, and clay artworks have been used. The idols will be traditional,” artist Prasanta Pal said to PTI.

Puja As Per Vedic Rituals

Dattatriya Ghoshal, who has been a priest since 2018, will be performing the puja. She said that the puja will be according to the Vedic rituals.

Inside The Puja

Around 100 food stalls will be set up on the premises. "There are various apartments and residential complexes in the township and people living there contribute to the Durga Pujas held in their respective complexes. Hence, we thought they shouldn’t be overburdened," Das told PTI.

Around 150 to 200 volunteers will be present in the puja. They, along with their family members, will be provided with free food at the pandal.

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Kolkata’s Durga Puja Got UNESCO Heritage Tag

Durga Puja is the grandest of all festivals celebrated in Kolkata. Every year, the city brings a new theme to Durga Puja pandals that are each unique and innovative in their own way.

In 2021, UNESCO inscribed Kolkata’s Durga Puja on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which happened for the first time in Asia.

UNESCO announced the news in a tweet, "Durga puja in Kolkata has just been inscribed on the intangible heritage list. Congratulations India." They also attached a photo of the goddess with the hashtag 'living heritage'.

Don't miss: Matter Of Great Pride For India As Kolkata's Durga Puja Gets UNESCO Heritage Tag

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