Ahmedabad: As Ahmedabad gets into the Navratri spirit, Bengalis who made this city their home are preparing for a five-day celebration of faith, food, adda, and fellowship. Durga Puja pandals in Maninagar, Chandkheda, Sindhu Bhavan Road, the ONGC campus in Chandkheda and Gandhinagar will open to visitors on Thursday, the fifth day of Navratri. From a Mayapur-themed pandal to an eco-friendly idol made with mud from Ganga, the celebrations promise a slice of Bengal in Ahmedabad.While many members of the Bengali community may miss the festive bustle of Kolkata, preparations in Ahmedabad have focused on recreating the warmth and traditions of home. Houses are being spring-cleaned, new clothes bought and festive menus planned.At the pandals, artisans are putting the finishing touches to elaborate structures and idols.The Bengal Cultural Association is observing its 89th year of Durga Puja celebrations. “The theme for our pandal and entrance gate is the Mayapur Iskcon Mandir. A team of 15 craftsmen from West Bengal, led by Bikash Purkait, has constructed the structure entirely out of bamboo and cloth. The 170-ft-wide, 65-ft-high and 30-ft-deep structure took nearly two months to complete,” association secretary Anal Mukherjee said.“The idol has been crafted by Tarun Bera, a sculptor from West Bengal. It is eco-friendly and made using only mud sourced from the Ganga,” he said.The association expects daily footfall of nearly 10,000 visitors. “We will also host a Bengali Book Mela featuring around 2,500 books,” Mukherjee said. The celebrations will be held at the AMC ground beside Monte Carlo Oxygen Park on Sindhu Bhavan Road.The Chandkheda Bengal Cultural Association is celebrating its 37th Durga Puja this year.“No Pujo is complete without food,” said Goutam Lahiri, general secretary of the Chandkheda Bengal Cultural Association. “Women from the community will bring home-cooked dishes for the Anandamela, which will feature a vegetarian spread, food stalls and funfair activities for a day,” he said.The puja rituals at the Chandkheda association will begin on Friday and continue till Wednesday.“At our Isanpur pandal, local artisans have spent two-and-a-half months preparing the deity’s idol,” Lahiri said.Over the next few days, the pandals will come alive with Dhunuchi Naach and Sindhur Khela, the beats of the dhak, soulful music, delicious food and the divine presence of Maa Durga. For the Bengali community, the celebrations will be an occasion to gather, share traditions and stay connected to their roots.
