Nagpur: For Nagpur’s Bengali community, Durga Pujo is not just a festival but also a celebration that brings together generations through age-old rituals, cultural performances, traditional food and elaborate idols. The Durga Pujo pandals showcase the enduring cultural roots of the community, keeping traditions alive while welcoming people from across the city to the festivities.At CPWD Quarters on Katol Road, the Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee is celebrating 57 years of the festival in a pandal inspired by traditional Bengali architecture. The 12.5-foot idol of Goddess Durga, crafted using clay brought from the banks of Ganga river, will be installed in the paanch chaali pattern.Committee president Vijay Ramani told TOI that the venue attracts around 10,000 to 15,000 visitors daily, with dhak performances by artistes from Kolkata among the major attractions. Spiritual performances and cultural programmes are scheduled for Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, while mahaprasad will be served to devotees. The celebrations will culminate on Wednesday this year, the day after Dussehra, which falls on Tuesday. CP Vishwas Nangre Patil and NMC commissioner Vipin Itankar attended the inaugural ceremony.At Rani Kothi in Civil Lines, the Paschim Nagaria Bengali Cultural Association has organised a grand Bangla Gaaner Bhubon performance on Maha Saptami. The association has also organised a dance and drama presentation on Oct 18 and a Dhunuchi Naach competition on Oct 19.Among the city’s oldest traditions is the 143-year-old Chakravorty Badir Pujo, which began during the British Raj under the initiative of the great-grandfather of former city police chief PKB Chakravorty. The family performs Satyanarayan Puja on Panchami, followed by Durga Pujo from Shashthi.The celebrations at Dinanath High School in Dhantoli, organised by the Bengali Association, date back 107 years. The venue is known for its traditional ‘Ek chaali’ idol, depicting Goddess Durga alongside her children within a single backdrop. An 11-day mela is another major attraction, while visitors also gather for pushpanjali on Ashtami and traditional bhog.The 38-year-old Ajni Railway Sarbojanin Durga Puja, organised with the help of railway officials, combines traditional rituals with cultural performances in Hindi, Marathi and Bengali. Devotees are served bhog on Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, featuring khichuri, labda, payesh, tomato chutney and beguni.At Air Force School, the puja carries a distinctive history. Earlier organised inside Maintenance Command at Vayusena Nagar, it shifted to the school during the 1999 Kargil War. A fighter-jet theme introduced that year began a tradition of showcasing different themes.
