New community Durga Puja to focus on women priests and drummers

Kolkata: The New Town Sarbajanin Durga Puja will be the first to have all-women teams of priestesses and drummers. Focused on Mother Bengal and women empowerment, it is scheduled to be inaugurated on Monday.

Samaresh Das, secretary of the Durga Puja committee, told PTI that all four priestesses of the puja are women and there are 12 drummers. In addition, a dozen women are performing 'Dhunuchi Naach', a dance performed by evening aarti. In Dhunuchi Naach, people dance to the tune of traditional drums while balancing clay bowls of charcoal, coconut husk, and powdered incense in their hands and mouths.

Dattatriya Ghoshal, one of the four women, said she has been a priest since 2018 and their puja will be held as per Vedic rituals.

The first community Durga Puja in the satellite township on the northeastern side of Kolkata has a dedicated adda zone. The puja will have over 2.5 lakh sq ft of open space on the ground near the Central Mall. The event will also showcase the traditional art and culture of Bengal. Built with bamboo and a thatched roof, visitors can sit and spend time. Around 100 food stalls will be set up in the zone.

Artist Prasanta Pal said terracotta items, dokra art, puppets, and Nabanna festival items will be on show. "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 that will be traditional."