Greater Noida (West) Bengali Association, a registered association, is celebrating its 5th year of annual Durga Puja, with grand and grandeur. Surojit Ghoshal, President of GNWBA, said the venue of the Puja, for the first time in four years. has been shifted to a different place which is at a more approachable location in the vicinity.
The RISE Shoplex, the new venue, serves a strategic purpose as its stone’s throw from nearby residential complexes. “We are expecting a comparatively heavier footfall from the last few years,” he said.
“We will continue our age-old tradition of sit and dine of Maa’er Bhog (Goddess’s Prasad) this year too, which was discontinued in 2020 and 2021 Puja due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Ghosal said.
The prime focus of the association has been to keep members and the future generation rooted to Bengali culture and tradition, he said.
Echoing the sentiment, GNWBA Vice President Gautam Basu said, “Every year, our Puja reflects Bengali traditions and culture like Bodhon, Adhibash, Kumari Pujo and many more.”
A unique feature of GNWBA’s Durga Pujo is to avoid water pollution, Basu said and added, “We don’t perform Pratima Bisarjan (Immersion of Idol) in any river or pond”.
Rather, GNWBA members dig up a huge mud hole in a nearby location, and fill it with water and immerse the idols there and cover it, Basu said.
Later on, the leftover water is used for watering the plants and trees in the vicinity, he added.
This year is also special because after a gap of two years of Covid-19 pandemic, GNWBA will be showcasing its cultural programmes for all the four days, starting from Shasthi to Nabami.
Panchali Shyam Dev (Cultural Secretary) and Aparajita Gupta (Jt. Cultural Secretary) are elated to inform that they have been waiting for this to happen since the last two years, as they were not permitted to conduct any cultural programme due to Covid-19 pandemic.
This year, they are elated as they have planned a colorful and diverse event during the four days of Puja, which includes dance, skits, songs and recitation by professional stage performers, live band by BSF Bad (Border Security Force) etc
Ghoshal highlighted an impressive fact about this year’s GNWBA’s Puja as it would be organized at a totally plastic free zone. Besides, using any kind of plastic material is strictly prohibited inside Puja pandal, he added.
“We are proud to say that our Puja is an eco-friendly net carbon zero celebration,” Ghoshal said.
News Mania Desk
