Rupa Banerjee, born and brought up in Patna, hasn't been to Calcutta for Durga Puja in years but the festivities at Gulzarbagh makes up for it.

Several Durga Puja committees in Patna have made sure that residents get a taste of the festival like it is celebrated in Bengal by organising events common in the neighbouring state. So, don't be surprised if you find shankhadhwani (conch-blowing) and uludhwani (ululation) contests in the pandals, and dhunuchi dance and dhaki performances around the city - these are just offerings from Bengali Puja committees such as Vivekanand Sanskritik Parishad and Gulzarbagh Sanskritik Parishad in Patna City.

'As a child, I visited my maternal uncle's home in Calcutta every Durga Puja. Apart from the grandeur what touched me were the competitions at the pandals. Everyone would bond over the games. It will be a treat for the residents

In Langar Toli's Bengali Akhara lane is the Surodyan puja celebration committee. They will have four dhakis (traditional drummers) from Calcutta and a sitar performance by Delhi artiste Arup Mukherjee on Saptami. The Puja committee will celebrate its 125th year with cut-outs of freedom fighters.

'The freedom fighters were the founding members of our Durga Puja. There was a gymnasium at Bengali Akhara that they used to visit but the British police were suspicious of them. So to throw them off the scent, the freedom fighters started Durga Puja here,' said Subendu Ghosh, a committee member.