MUMBAI: The more you see, the more you want to see. Blessings, mesmerization and the pulse of the nation is thriving at the moment with one religious beat and it is almost as if all the excitement of Durga Puja is culminating at one spot: Andheri Link Road’s Sarbojanik Durga Puja, DN Nagar.
Little surprise that this is creating a social furore of sorts, because with a staggering twenty two feet tall Durga Idol sculpted by Amit Pal son of Late Nimai Pal, the idol is the tallest in Mumbai, and the ceremony and auspices for the same are handled by none other then twelve priests who have specially come in from Benaras, to chant the chandi path, which is being headed by revered Shri Pandit Kedarnathji. And to add to the final crowning glory epilogue, three revered priests will be performing the main Maa Durga Puja headed by Kedar Mukherjee, who is well renowned for being one of the best from Domjur Howrah, Kolkata.
To add to the sound beats and rhythm to the divine occasion, two groups of ten Dhaki players, totalling a talented bunch of twenty, each of which is headed by Sudham Das and Khokan Das from Midnapur West Bengal will add to the authenticity of the moment, almost transporting one back with the chants to the soulful by lanes of Howrah. And what’s more, a special dias for everyone along with the traditional Bengali attire of Dhoti kurta is being arranged to really make the experience and moment of the days come alive authentically.
Keeping in mind the true essence of the Puja, the devotees can also look forward to some mesmerizing entertainment programmes which include: On 20 October - Rituparna Sengupta gives a classical dance performance and Sanjay Chakravarthy will entice the crowds with the Sarod. On 21 October, the visitors can indulge in mirth and wishful smiles Raju Shrivastav (Stand up comedian and Shakuntala Barua (mentally challenged children will be giving a wonderful dance performance. On 22 October its Usha Uthup taking centre stage, and following on 23 October, is Saapna Mukerjee with Kunal Ganjavala culminating the act on 24 October.
With enough room to welcome thousands of visitors in its fold, the pandal landscape, which is spread over an area of one and a half acre, houses the stage of of Maa Durga which in itself is sixty feet, giving an indication of the large scale that the occasion is unfolding at. Elaborating on this year’s festivities, Organization Committee joint secretary Romeer Sen said, “This time we are in our fourth year, there have been learnings from the past three years which we are implementing to make this even grander. There are different methods, techniques being put into realization. For instance, this year, we are moving into a zone where we are moving back, we are creating a palace set up, because this is what we see as Ma’s house, it can not be short of anything but a palace, but we are doing it in a very polished and stylish manner.”
Reacting to the pandal being known as one of best in the country, Romeer stated, “People always come after the pandal is ready and see the grandeur, but the real work is behind the scenes where more then a thousand people have come together to make this come alive. And its not just us, everywhere else in the country, every one puts in the same devotion and hard work, so we don’t want people to compare and say we are better, we just want them to enjoy this, that is our greatest satisfaction.”
With such a deep and important movement, everything is par excellence, including the festive offerings wherein the special Bhog is being prepared by Chef Chandan and all the other food items and ingredients are being supplied by Hotel Sahara Star, the only club in India, which provides all devotees with 5 star hotel facilities & hospitality - with special traditional sitting arrangements, it’s the coming together of authenticity provided in the most soulful and an unmatched set up, a feet which has to be witnessed to be truly believed.
And where there will be a total of two air-conditioned VIP Lounges with all 5 star amenities, the attempt is to make all the guests experience a warm and a homely atmosphere. Eighty security guards have been appointed specifically for the Puja, keeping in mind the safety and security around the pandas, with two sniffer dogs rounding up the security measures for an expected crowd of almost seventy five thousand people daily! And the making of such a huge scale can not be complete without the willing support on the outside, including the local people around DN Nagar cooperating unflinchingly with car parking & traffic management related issues, which has added to the reasons why today since the past three consecutive years, The Andheri link road Sarbojanik Durga Puja -DN Nagar, has been awarded as one of the best and safest Durga puja Mandap by the Mumbai police. And rewarding all these brilliant moments one can be assured that when the official brand ambassador for the event is Rituparna Sengupta.