The idols at the Gulzarbagh Sanskriti Parishad pandal in Patna. Picture by Sachin

Patna, Oct. 2: The Gulzarbagh Sanskriti Parishad Puja turned 100 this year and the committee members have made the best arrangements to gift Puja revellers an unforgettable experience.

Around 50 Bengali families living in Gulzarbagh take part in this Puja that is observed according to the traditions of Bengal. Stepping into its centenary celebrations, the committee promises a memorable Puja this year. The committee has stuck to the tradition of shola (thermocol) decoration for Goddess Durga and her children over the years.

“We have decorated the Goddess with shola this year too. The members of the committee are in no mood to forget their tradition,” said Aashish Bhattacharya, a patron of the Puja committee.

He added: “Shailen Pal from Krishnanagar was the first artist to prepare idols for us in 1911. Now, his descendants prepare our idols. However, this year, we are making little changes in our pandal decoration and have decided to use heavy lighting. We have also increased our bhog this year. Last year, we had arranged bhog for 400 people between Saptami and Navami but this year, we have made arrangements for around 1,000 people.”

Time out with friends and a heart-to-heart with near and dear ones complete the Durga Puja celebrations for Bengalis. Here in Gulzarbagh too, adda is a common sight at the pandal.

Bhattacharya said: “Here, our gatherings are not like the ones in Calcutta but we have tried to make it colourful and entertaining with various cultural programmes.”

Apart from singing and dance competitions, a dance drama by a Calcutta-based troupe is on the cards this year.

To complete the festive fervour are dhunuchi dance and dhanki (drummer).

“Dhankis have been brought from Calcutta. The dhunuchi naach (dance) competition is expected to be fun. Though there are no prizes for this competition, it always inspires a competitive feeling among the participants,” said Chanchal Banerjee, another exe- cutive member of the Puja committee.

On the centenary year of festivities, the committee has also planned a felicitation ceremony for the senior members of the community.

Septuagenarian Ashok Bhattacharya said: “The celebration has not changed much over the years. The best part is that we enjoy the festivities with our children and grandchildren. We love to come to the pandal and enjoy the performances.”