Kolkata: Most big ticket Durga Pujas in the city have passed the khuti puja test on the Ulto Rath weekend with only a few, like Tala Prattay, yet to get over the uncertainty and start their preparations.A large number of committees performed Khuti Puja between Friday and Sunday, marking the ceremonial beginning of preparations for this year’s festivities, in presence of BJP functionaries who have taken over the pujas. While several prominent organisers completed the ritual on Ulto Rath on Friday, many more held Khuti Puja on Sunday, signalling the start of setting up of pandals in the city. Among the major committees that held Khuti Puja on Friday were Tridhara Akalbodhan, Bidhannagar Dakshin Athletics Club, Ultadanga Bidhan Sangha, Barisha Sarbojonin Durgotsab, Dum Dum Tarun Dal, and New Town DB Block Durgotsab Committee. The rituals drew organisers, artists, public representatives and residents.Celebrating its 80th year, Tridhara Akalbodhan performed the traditional ritual in the presence of organisers and artist Gouranga Kuila, who is conceptualising this year’s theme. The south Kolkata puja, known for its grandeur under the influence of former Rasbehari MLA Debasis Kumar, had him conduct the rituals this year as well. Kumar left the Kalighat camp of Trinamool Congress and joined the rebel Trinamoolk functionaries, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, after the change in the state regime.In north Kolkata, Dum Dum Tarun Dal’s Khuti Puja for its 49th edition of Durga Puja was attended by new club president and Rajarhat-Gopalpur MLA Tarunjyoti Tiwari. Dum Dum MLA Arijit Bakshi, Rajathat-New Town MLA Piyush Kanodia and Bidhannagar MLA and state health minister Saradwat Mukhopadhyay were among the invitees. Earlier, fire minister Sujit Bose was at the helm of the puja. “Construction of the pandal and other installations will now gather pace. This year’s puja will be better than any of the earlier years,” said Anil Giri, secretary of the puja committee.At Ultadanga Bidhan Sangha, which is organising its 58th Durga Puja, Khuti Puja was held in the presence of a number of BJP functionaries—BJP north Kolkata district president Tamaghna Ghosh and Sharad Kumar Singh—though chief patron and local MLA Tapas Roy was absent. Till last year, Sreya Pande, and before her, her father Sadhan Pande held top positions at the club. “The club now has a new organising committee. This year, we are presenting an abstract concept with our theme, ‘Amurto’. The concept explores the philosophical notion of the divine beyond physical form,” said Arup Das, a senior executive member of the puja committee.In Behala, Sabarnapara Barisha Sarbojonin Durgotsab also completed its Khuti Puja. While the club’s chief patron MLA Indranil Khan could not be present at the ceremony as the state assembly session is on, artist Bapai Sen and singer Pota were present at the event.On Sunday, multiple other puja committees like Salt Lake CF Block residents’ association, Babubagan Club in Dhakuria and Haridevpur Vivekananda Sporting Club held their Khuti Puja. Babubagan has also overhauled its organising committee. “Since 2012, our puja had been taken over by members of the previous party in office. We have now brought back the old committee that used to organise the puja before 2012,” said a senior member of the organising committee. Babubagan’s Khuti Puja was attended by BJP functionaries Locket Chatterjee and Shankudeb Panda.
