MUMBAI: With the arrival of Durga Puja, the whole of Bengal transforms to welcome the Goddess and the festivities which come with her. NINE FM revels in the festive season every year with �Sharod Samman', which is the conferring of awards to the Best Puja Mandaps. This year has been a testimony to the fact that NINE FM does not believe in delivering the trivial to its listeners and it does not leave any stone unturned to reach out to them on a more one-to-one basis.

NINE FM has been conferring �Sharod Samman' to the best Puja Mandaps since two years and this being the third year, an element of fun was added to avoid being a part of the ordinary, tedious race of just conferring awards. NINE FM introduced �Siliguri Durga Parivaar', a contest which gave a platform to its listeners to enjoy the spotlight. Each of the participant Puja Committees were asked to choose people representing each of the deity worshipped in Durga Puja, namely Durga, Ganesha, Laxmi, Saraswati and Kartik. A �family' had to be formed and the preliminary shortlisting was done through personal interview. Two families were chosen to contest in the final which was held at a five star property in Siliguri.

The final was a kaleidoscope of colours with the participants turning up dressed in their ethnic finery. Glitter of the ornaments and the repertoire of talent which was displayed stunned the panel of judges which consisted of the Who's Who of Siliguri town. The Mayor Smt. Gangotri Dutta graced the event as the Chief Guest.

Each of the participants had to perform tasks set as per the quality each deity represents. For example, Durga had to show of her culinary skills through salad dressing while Ganesha had to prove his mettle by eating as many rosogullas in thirty seconds. The winners walked away with many prizes and also with an invitation to appear live on one of the shows on NINE FM. The �Sharod Samman' awards were also given away during the programme.

Mr. Bobby Gupta, Chief Executive, NINE FM, remarked, Siliguri Durga Parivaar was organized with the motive of creating a healthy ground for competition. The final �Siliguri Durga Parivaar' was formed with members from both the Puja Committees. It was meant to be a confluence of talent and a sheer display of team work and sportsmanship. This was also to bring the people out of their daily routine and add a little excitement to their lives. NINE FM shall continue to bring people together with events like these....