Kolkata holds Durga Carnival with pomp
Like the previous five years the Bengal Government on Friday celebrated the Durga Carnival in style exhibiting the grand march-past of 74 idols from various clubs along with their respective themes at the historic Red Road.
Organised much along the line of the Independence Day parade in New Delhi tableaux taken out by each Puja club came out with a theme ranging from women’s empowerment to pollution to ‘safe drive’ a phrase coined by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to encourage sane driving.
Durga Puja Carnival a brainchild of the Chief Minister is primarily held to attract international tourist and showcase Durga Pujas as the biggest carnival on earth. “It is perhaps beiger than the one held in Rio,” Banerjee earlier said adding “no where on earth will you find the intermingling of mysticism with materialistic ideas with such finesse and nowhere on earth you will find crores of people roaming the streets 24x7 hopping Puja pandals ... this is why we call it the biggest carnival on earth.”
Hundreds of foreign dignitaries and foreign media men and more than a lakh people witnessed the Durga Carnival on Friday.
Hundreds of foreign dignitaries and foreign media men and more than a lakh people witnessed the Durga Carnival on Friday.
All about Durga Puja carnival
The Puja Carnival this year — the fourth edition of the annual show — will have participants from Calcutta and its adjoining areas parading down Red Road, showcasing their idols in a colourful show of gaiety and grandeur. Metro gives a low-down of the show.
What: State government’s Puja Carnival 2019 on Red Road.
When: From 4.30pm on Friday.
Total seating arrangements: 15,000.
Number of participants: Seventy-eight puja committees from Calcutta and its adjoining areas are scheduled to take part in the carnival. Each of them will have two minutes to perform in front of the guests.
Decoration: Two main stages, each measuring 84X24ft, have been built.
One will have chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is scheduled to be seated with governor Jagdeep Dhankar and other dignitaries. Guests from abroad will be seated on the stage opposite this.
Theme: Ranga Maatir Bangla. The main stage has been done up with terracotta murals that can be seen in temples in parts of Bishnupur. Tanmoy Chakrabarty, the man who has worked on several film sets, has been engaged for the job.
Road closure: Red Road will be closed from Thursday midnight till the end of the show. The police said the show would go on for nearly four hours with several puja committees hiring star performers for the show.
Others will be turning up with decorated tableaux showcasing the idols.
Security: Calcutta police have made elaborate security arrangements across the entire stretch of Red Road with watch towers and special police posts. A drone will fly above the VIP zone sending back images to the police control room.
Coverage: A dozen LED screens have been set up to beam live images to those who are seated far away. There are separate enclosures for viewers, bureaucrats and VIPs. Seats will have to be taken by 2.30pm.
The Puja Carnival this year — the fourth edition of the annual show — will have participants from Calcutta and its adjoining areas parading down Red Road, showcasing their idols in a colourful show of gaiety and grandeur. Metro gives a low-down of the show.
What: State government’s Puja Carnival 2019 on Red Road.
When: From 4.30pm on Friday.
Total seating arrangements: 15,000.
Number of participants: Seventy-eight puja committees from Calcutta and its adjoining areas are scheduled to take part in the carnival. Each of them will have two minutes to perform in front of the guests.
Decoration: Two main stages, each measuring 84X24ft, have been built.
One will have chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is scheduled to be seated with governor Jagdeep Dhankar and other dignitaries. Guests from abroad will be seated on the stage opposite this.
Theme: Ranga Maatir Bangla. The main stage has been done up with terracotta murals that can be seen in temples in parts of Bishnupur. Tanmoy Chakrabarty, the man who has worked on several film sets, has been engaged for the job.
Road closure: Red Road will be closed from Thursday midnight till the end of the show. The police said the show would go on for nearly four hours with several puja committees hiring star performers for the show.
Others will be turning up with decorated tableaux showcasing the idols.
Security: Calcutta police have made elaborate security arrangements across the entire stretch of Red Road with watch towers and special police posts. A drone will fly above the VIP zone sending back images to the police control room.
Coverage: A dozen LED screens have been set up to beam live images to those who are seated far away. There are separate enclosures for viewers, bureaucrats and VIPs. Seats will have to be taken by 2.30pm.
Durga Puja Carnival an attempt to divert attention from lawless situation: Bengal BJP
KOLKATA: West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Friday accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of trying to divert attention from the "anarchic and lawless situation" prevailing in the state by organising the grand Durga Puja Carnival in the city.The programme is also aimed at diverting attention from the failures of the TMC government and Banerjee to protect the people, he said.
Claiming that several BJP workers were killed in West Bengal during the puja, he asked "Will the people be able enjoy a carnival when so many people are getting killed everyday in the state?" Ghosh told reporters that during Durga Puja five BJP workers had been killed, excluding the triple murder in Murshidabad.
"The college teacher United Nations agency was killed in Murshidabad was our party supporter.
This solely reflects the law and order state of affairs within the state and the way it's utterly de-escalated.
"The state organizing the Puja carnival is nothing but an attempt to divert attention from the anarchic situation in the state," he said.
The BJP has sought-after time from President Ram Nath Kovind and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to apprise them regarding the "complete breakdown" of law and order in state national general secretary of the party Kailash Vijayvargiya said earlier in the day.
The state BJP leaders said the carnival is an attempt to woo the section of Hindus who have deserted the TMC due to its appeasement politics.
"The TMC is trying to create a hype as it wants to reach out to the Hindus in the state, post its dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
The poll results have sent out a strong message that Hindus can't be taken for granted in Bengal," said a senior BJP leader.
Referring to the TMC government's decision during a previous year to restrict the immersion ceremony due to Muharram, state BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu alleged that under TMC rule Hindus are not being allowed to freely practice their religion in the state.
"The TMC government should apologize to the people for restricting the immersion ceremony of Durga Puja for Muharram.
There are also instances of Saraswati Puja not being allowed in various parts of Bengal.
Now after the Lok Sabha election result TMC has realized that their days in power in the state are numbered," Basu said.
The BJP bagged 18 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019, just four less than the ruling TMC.
The TMC's tally fell from thirty four in 2014 to twenty two seats.
The Trinamool Congress, however, refused to attach much importance to Ghosh's comment and said the BJP was trying to deflect attention of the people from the economic downturn facing the country.
"The BJP should stop making baseless allegations.
The law and order situation in Bengal is fine and the BJP is trying to disturb it.
It (BJP) is trying to deflect attention from the economic downturn through its propaganda of muscular nationalism," senior TMC leader Tapas Roy said.
A total of seventy five community pujas from in and round the town, all recipients of 'Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman, 2019' instituted by the state government participated in the carnival on Friday, officials said.
Banerjee, her cupboard colleagues and lots of foreigners, together with officers of consulates of various countries, were gift on the occasion.
BJP Calls Mamata Banerjee's Hindu deity Puja Carnival "Mockery Of Democracy"
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress refused to connect importance to Dilip Ghosh's comment (PTI File)Kolkata:
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on weekday criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for making a "mockery of democracy" by organising the deity Puja Carnival among the city, when the state was witnessing "complete breakdown" of law and order.
Alleging that the regime is organising the carnival once many BJP staff were killed across the state, Mr Ghosh said, adding it was aimed at diverting attention of people.
"During the Hindu deity Puja, five BJP workers have been killed, excluding the triple murder in Murshidabad. The school teacher UN agency was killed in Murshidabad was our party supporter. This solely reflects the law and order state of affairs within the state and the way it's utterly countermined in geographical region. And the state is organizing a carnival that is nothing however a mockery of democracy," Mr Ghosh told reporters.
It is an effort to divert folks's attention from the failure of the govt and also the chief minister to safeguard the people, he said.
His statement comes within the scene of the BJP seeking time from President Ram Nath Kovind and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to apprise them regarding the "complete breakdown" of law and order in West Bengal.
The Trinamool Congress, however, refused to connect abundant importance to mister Ghosh's comment and same the BJP was attempting to deflect attention of the folks from the economic downswing that the country is facing.
"The BJP should stop making baseless allegations. The law and order state of affairs in geographical region is totally fine. Only the BJP is trying to disturb it. The BJP too is attempting to deflect attention from economic downswing through its info of muscular nationalism," senior TMC leader Tapas Roy same.
A total of seventy five community pujas from in and round the town, all recipients of ''Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman 2019'' - instituted by the regime - area unit taking part in the ''Durga Puja Carnival'' on Friday, officials said.
Ms Banerjee, her cupboard colleagues and plenty of foreigners, as well as officers of consulates of various countries, are gift on the occasion.
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