Lucknow: Among the city’s oldest Durga Puja committees, La Touche Road Puja Sangsad Society will celebrate its 85th edition from Oct 15 to 21 at Hewett Road. This year’s theme will be ‘Bonidhi Badi’ (aristocratic household), inspired by the traditional home of an affluent Bengali family. The pandal and decorations are expected to cost around Rs 11 lakh.The puja was started in 1942 by Vishwanath Bannerjee and was later popularised by R N Sanyal. This year, the pandal will be designed as a traditional ‘thakur dalan’, a grand courtyard commonly seen in affluent Bengali households. The structure will be adorned with white and red curtains, while the walls will feature intricate Bengali ‘alpona’ motifs.An 11-foot idol of Goddess Durga will be installed inside the pandal. Samiti president Sanjeev Bannerjee said, “This puja was started by my grandfather Vishwanath Bannerjee. He also introduced the tradition of inviting dhaakiyas from Kolkata to perform during the puja.”Over the years, the committee has showcased several themes, including replicas of Dakshineswar Temple, a Chhau (a folk dance) mask pandal, Somnath Temple and a Bengali village.This year, the committee introduced a special facility for elderly and specially abled devotees, who will be able to receive bhog at home after prior registration.Cultural programmes will be held on Oct 16 and include a dance drama depicting the reception of Goddess Durga, a Bengali singing competition and performances of Rabindranath Tagore’s songs.Devotees will be served khichdi, chorchori, baigun bhaja, payesh, chutney, labra and paneer sabzi as bhog. Stalls selling handicraft, food, accessories, art and craft items, home décor products and cosmetics will also be set up at the venue.
