At DA Block, Saraswati puja was conducted for students and by students. Pupils from school and college took over and did everything from shopping to chopping fruits for the puja.
“We’ve been conducting the puja for four years now,” said Priyanjali Roy, an MBA student of IISWBM, who was at the helm of affairs this time. “Previously our block wouldn’t celebrate this puja so our youth association decided to start it. Gradually many of our members are either leaving the city or getting married and moving out of the block, so there are just two or three of us left.”
Twelve-year-old Rishik Ganguly skipped playing cricket with friends and lent a hand with the puja. “This year we didn’t have puja at home so I came to the community hall to help out,” he said, before chopping fruits. “This is my first time here and I’m enjoying it.”
While there were professionals cooking the bhog, it was the youths supervising it. “I asked the cooks to add more dal to the khichuri but they added rice!” said Priyanjali. “Luckily they managed to rectify the error.”
Aryama Sen, couldn’t contribute much this year as she’s in Class XII and studying for her Board examinations. “I missed the fun this year,” she said. “Usually we enjoy so much here that we don’t even visit our schools or colleges on Saraswati puja.” But this year she helped her mother organise a small puja at home. “But I could not follow the no-study rule on Saraswati puja. I had to study the tough subjects and place books of less-important subjects before the goddess.”
The finances of the puja are handled by the students too. “We raised Rs 16,000 through subscriptions and received Rs 15,000 from the block’s Durga puja fund. But we didn’t need that much and managed to wrap everything within Rs 25,000,” said Priyanjali, while adding that they receive guidance from their seniors.
The parents are supportive of the move. “I don’t want my daughter to be bogged down by the stress of exams so I always encourage her to go out and help. But this year she missed out on most of the fun,” said Puloma Sen, Aryama’s mother.
CHANGE OF MOUNTS
The Saraswati puja idol at IC Block (above) and (below) the goddess painted by a young resident of the block in the invitation letter sent to The Telegraph Salt Lake. “I love painting and had asked the organisers to let me paint on the card,” says Sneha Maity, a first year student of commerce. In case you noticed Saraswati’s vahan — the swan replaced by a peacock — Sneha has an explanation for it. “While the swan is seen more in Bengal, the peacock is also accepted as Saraswati’s vahan. I painted it as it would be more colourful. My image has a cute, cartoonish look,” she says. We agree.
The puja itself had a 15-ft tall idol, and a swan as the mount. “Around 8,000 visitors came to our puja,” said Bikash Kumar Singh, secretary of IC Block Saraswati Puja Committee. “We also held games like phuchka-eating, in which 77 women took part and sit-and-draw, in which 180 kids participated.” No, Sneha did not join either.
The idol at BK Block community hall. Around 100 devotees joined the puja in the morning and shared bhog. In the evening, there were cultural programmes by residents. Block president Shyamal Bagchi sang Amar bhitor bahire and cultural secretary Monojit Chandra recited a Sukumar Ray poem. A group of 20 kids recited and sang Nazrulgeeti and Rabindrasangeet. “Back in the day, Saraswati puja was like Valentine’s Day and to remember it as such I sang the Kishore Kumar song Pal pal dil ke paas besides a Rabindrasangeet,” said Chandrasekhar Bag, a resident.
DISPLAY OF PLUMES: A bird show will begin today at BJ Park. It will continue till Sunday, from 3pm to 8pm. There will be a photo booth to click pictures with the Macaus and Cockatoos. The show is being organised by Ward 29 of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and All Bengal Bird Lover’s Organisation.
Do you follow the no-studies on Saraswati puja rule?
Write to The Telegraph Salt Lake, 6 Prafulla Sarkar Street,
Calcutta 700001 or email to saltlake@abpmail.com
