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Regular-article-logo Tuesday, 16 April 2024

Your guide to Mahasashthi

The city is tipped to get intermittent showers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday

The Telegraph Calcutta Published 03.10.19, 08:41 PM
The Durga idol at the Adi Ballygunge puja pandal

The Durga idol at the Adi Ballygunge puja pandal Picture by B Halder

Eye on sky

Chances of rain are high in Calcutta and the surrounding districts between Friday (October 4, Sashthi) and Tuesday (October 8, Dashami). The city is tipped to get intermittent showers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Sashthi, Saptami and Ashtami). The intensity of rain is likely to increase on Monday and Tuesday (Navami and Dashami).

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Road restrictions

Police have uploaded traffic regulations for Puja on the Google Map app this year. The app will show one-way roads, diversion points and the roads that have been closed because of pandals. The “no entry” rule will be in force from 3pm on Sashthi to 3am on Saptami, from 3pm on Saptami to 4am on Ashtami, from 3pm on Ashtami to 4am on Navami and from 3pm on Navami to 4am on Dashami.

Tips to motorists: Write your/ driver’s mobile number on a piece of paper and stick it to the windshield of the car. Damage caused to cars while towing them away from no-parking zones can be avoided if the cops are able to contact owners/drivers.

Police deployment

Around 20,000 cops will be deployed across the city over the next five days. Over 50 watchtowers will be set up and radio flying squads and heavy radio flying squads will criss-cross the roads. Senior officers will be in the Lalbazar control rooms round the clock.

Dial for help

  • Emergency helpline: 100
  • To report suspicious activity: 1090
  • Lalbazar control room: 22143230
  • Traffic control room: 22143644
  • Traffic police helpline: 9830010000
  • Children’s helpline: 1098
  • Missing person’s squad: 22505153, 22141430, 22141835
  • Fire: 101 nFire brigade control room: 22861570, 22521165, 22521164
  • Ambulance: 102 nAAEI Breakdown services: 24866810/ 24865131/24865132/
  • 24865133 nCESC: 9831079666, 9831083700, 1912
  • WBSEDCL: 23197286
  • Metro Railway women’s helpline: 9007041908

Metro schedule

Metro Railway will run 288 trains on Friday (October 4, Sashthi). Services will start at 8am and the last trains will leave Dum Dum and Kavi Subhash (New Garia) stations at 11.10pm. On Saptami (October 5), Ashtami (October 6) and Navami (October 7), there will be 244 trains every day. The first and last trains will leave Dum Dum and Kavi Subhash stations at 1pm and 4am. On Dashami (October 8), there will be 132 trains. Services will start at 1pm and the last trains will leave

Dum Dum and Kavi Subhash stations at 10pm.

Tipple tale

There are no dry days. There is no restriction on off shops, bars, pubs and clubs on the Puja days.

Fashion

If you like to follow global trends, you can step out wearing neon shades. If you are partying, amp up your dress or flared pants with trendy broad belts. Traditional is the mantra of the festive season and nothing beats a sari. Printed organzas are a rage, but you can also go for traditional weaves paired with statement-sleeve blouses.

Party

If you love acoustic sessions, drop in at M Bar Kitchen, What’s In D Name and Refinery 091. Looking to party till morning? Gold, the JW Kitchen nightclub, will get you grooving till 4am. Party pads like Roxy, Tantra, Aqua and UG Reincarnated will also stay open till late. If Bollywood and commercial music is your thing, drop in at Nocturne. For more smashing music, drop in at Phoenix at The Astor.

Plex platter

Walk in to watch Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff in the Bolly action fest War. If you are a fan of the Batman universe, Joker is a must-watch. For Bangla film lovers, there are Mitin Mashi (starring Koel Mallick), Gumnaami (starring Prosenjit), Password (starring Dev, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Paoli Dam and Rukmini Maitra) and Satyanweshi Byomkesh (starring Parambrata, Anjan Dutt and

Rudranil Ghosh).

Special events

Thums Up Tofaani Gang: The chosen members of the Thums Up Tofaani Gang in association with t2 will go pandal-hopping with team leaders Abir Chatterjee and Priyanka Sarkar on October 4.

Pujor Nandini: Visit any of the booths near Dum Dum Park Bharat Chakra, Ballygunge Cultural Association, Singhi Park, Baghbazar Sarbojanin Durgotsav and Swamiji Sporting Club from 1pm to register for Pond’s Pujor Nandini 2019 in association with Anandabazar Patrika.

Sharod Arghya: Around 500 pujas have registered for Parle Marie Anandabazar Patrika Sharod Arghya, which recognises and felicitates pujas for their artistry and excellence. Judges will select the winner on Sashthi.

True Spirit Puja: On Sashthi, a team of celebrity judges will visit pandals that have made it to the final round of the CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja 2019, in association with LIC, David & Goliath and The New India Assurance, and select the winners who try to make Puja safer, greener and happier.

Hand in Hand: Dhunuchi Naach to Sriman Srimati, Sit-’n’-Draw to Conchshell Blowing, about 100 housing complexes across the city will join The Telegraph Hand in Hand in its 17th year.

Choto Chokhe Boro Pujo: Celebrity judge Arjun Chakrabarty will join 40 schoolchildren on Sashthi to hand over awards to the best pujas in TTIS Choto Chokhe Boro Pujo 2019, presented by Subhas Bose Institute of Hotel Management and powered by admissiontree.in.

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