Annapurna puja may be popular in homes, but BC Block now celebrates it at the community level. Since last year they have started performing the puja at their community hall and this probably makes them the first block in Salt Lake to do so.

“We actually wanted to perform Basanti puja but that is performed over three days and we wouldn’t have managed. So we began Annapurna puja instead,” said Mousumi Dutta, a member of the puja committee.

The Annapurna idol was adorned in a red and white Benarasi sari and accompanied by lord Shiva, who had shed his tigerskin for a dhoti. “We have welcomed him as a jamai,” smiled Amrita Mukherjee, another member. Shiva’s devotee Bhringi was there too.

Sharmistha Mitra and Ria Dutta were in charge of pandal decoration and they matched the look of the idols in a festive way. A lady monk of the Adyapith had come for the puja’s opening.

“Among cultural shows were recitation, dance and a chorus medley of 12 folk songs, performed by 12 of us,” said Anjana Saha, who directed the show. Singers like Piyali Rakshit and Rupak Mitra performed in the chorus. Bhog of 10 items for nearly 70 residents was cooked by block women like Alaka Sanyal, Mala Maitra, Keka Chatterjee and Anjali Banerjee.

Besides Durga puja, BC Block has been performing Lakshmi, Kali and Jagaddhatri pujas for several years and now Annapurna puja has got added to their festive calendar. “We didn’t go door-to-door seeking subscription for this puja. Anyone,
who was willing, came and contributed,” said Nabanita Ghosh.

While many residents, mostly women, undertook responsibilities in various departments, there was one name they all took in unison, echoing that the puja would not have been possible without the efforts of Ruida — the community hall’s caretaker — Bisnupada Ruidas!