Mumbai gears up to welcome Maa Durga

After two years of subdued celebrations Mumbai pandals are gearing up for Durga Puja festivities on a grand scale The Durga Puja festival starts on October 1 Saturday ndash which is Maha Shasthi ndash and ends on October 5 which is Vijaya DashamiSpeaking to middaycom Susmita Mitra President of the Bombay Durga Bari Samiti said ldquoWe started 93 years back when just threefour people came together and started this Earlier it used to happen at Cross Maidan and in the 1970s it was shifted to Mathuradas Vassanji Memorial Hall next to Tejpal Auditorium near August Kranti Maidan Since then the venue hasnrsquot changedrdquoWith no restrictions this year explaining what has the pandal planned for this Durga Puja Mitra explained ldquoIn the last two years we had a small venue and low key Durga Puja However we did live streaming of the puja for all the rituals With no restrictions we are back to Mathuradas Vassanji Memorial Hall this year and it will be open for all As Covid is still around we will maintain hygiene and keep sanitisersrdquoPicBombay Durga Bari SamitiSpeaking about how the Goddess Durga idol is ecofriendly President of Bombay DurgaBari Samiti said ldquoThe idol is 6feet tall and is made from clay Itrsquos an ecofriendly idol and we do not use synthetic coloursWe were pioneers in using only water soluble colours and material ndash completely dissolves in waterrdquoAccording to Bombay Durga Bari Samiti Maa Durga will be wearing jewellery crafted from fine wires called Taarer shaaj ndash a rare dying art formFor its 93rd year celebration Bombay Durga Bari Samiti has arranged special programmes for children The samiti initiates some unique philanthropic initiatives each year to give back to society as much as they canAlso Read Durga Puja 2022 All you need to know about the annual festivalThis year they have taken a small step in providing a group of special children with a day of funfilled activities and entertainment A group of children have been invited for darshan of Maa Durga have Bhog Prasad and then enjoy an afternoon of entertainment activities in the Tejpal AuditoriumThe Bombay Durga Bari Samiti will be hosting 113 students and staff from SEC school of children The children will represent school branches of Agripada Santacruz and Antophill on October 3Speaking about how the Covid affected the pandal in the last two years Susmita Mitra said ldquoIn 2020 we did all the rituals of Durga It was all digital But we got little collection donations In 2021 it was a little better We moved to a bigger venue compared to 2020rdquoAnother wellknown Durga Puja pandal is North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti in Juhu The pandal started Durga Puja celebrations 75 years back under the leadership of Late Sashadhar Mukherji and Late Sati Rani Devi along with close friends and family members It is popularly known as the MukherjiBari pujoNorth Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samitis protima of Durga MaaOur journey started 75 years back under the leadership of my parents Late Sashadhar Mukherji and Late Sati Rani Devi who along with some close friends and family members started the Pujo which is popularly known as the MukherjiBari pujo Over the years new members have joined and the Puja from its humble beginnings has evolved into one of the largest and most high profile Puja where celebrities from the entertainment industry and corporate world join members and all visitors in celebrating Durga Puja said Debu MukherjeeSharing information about this yearrsquos plan he further added ldquoOne of the USPs of our Puja is the manner in which all visitors become part of the celebration and are served bhogprasad while seated in an airconditioned hall The bhog is served by our members and volunteers and people get a chance to meet celebrities from the industryrdquoldquoWe plan to serve Bhog to over 15000 devotees over the 3 days Our biggest USP is the environment created where all devotees celebrate the spirit of Pujo along with celebrities from the entertainment industry corporate bigwigs and children from special schools Itrsquos a time when people can leave their worries behind and enjoy the Pujo in the traditional manner with various cuisines being served in the stallsrdquo Samrat Mukherjee from North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti saidMembers of North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja SamitiNorth Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti installs an ecofriendly idol made of clay The idol will be over 11 feet tall As they are celebrating Platinum jubilee the pandal has the theme of ldquoSheesh Mahalrdquo inside a temple complexWith Covid19 still lurking around the samiti has requested visitors to maintain distance hygiene and recommended the use of face masks They will be taking extra precautions by regularly cleaning the hightouch areas use of biodegradable disposable plates for serving bhog etcShedding light on how Covid affected the pandal in the last two years Samrat Mukherjee said ldquoLast two years have been challenging for all of us as we had members and their families being impacted by Covid We did not celebrate Pujo at this large scale and organised the Pujo in a small hall just for members who had been vaccinated and were not classified as vulnerable Covid also brought us closer as we all appreciate the value of life and what one needs to do for fellow citizens in their time of needrdquoAlso Read Navratri 2022 The nine forms of Goddess Durga worshipped during the festivalAnother pandal known for its grand celebrations is DN Nagar Durga Puja organised by Indian Bangla Club at DN Nagar in Andheri Speaking about the pandal the organisers of the DN Nagar Durga Puja informed ldquoIn its nineyear journey we have witnessed a footfall of 40000 devotees every year We have always received great support from celebrities delegates entrepreneurs media and especially our devotees We have received support from celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan Mika Singh Shankar Mahadevan Shaan and other important personalities We had the record of the highest Durga idol in Mumbai 24 feet to be precise and our bhogprasad was one of the mosttalked about subjects This year also we are organising the Puja in a grand way at Saraswati Hall amp Ground Ganesh Chowk DN NagarWith no restrictions they are arranging everything keeping the Covid protocols in mind ldquoWe have arranged for food stalls entertainment night idol darshan pushpanjali and aarti for allrdquo the organisers saidThe Goddess Durga idol is made of clay and this year the height is 8 feet With Covid19 still around the pandal is following all the standard Covid protocols by the Government and BMC There wont be entry without a mask which will be provided at the venue along with sanitizer There are no other restrictions imposed on the devotees We welcome them all the organisers of DN Nagar Durga Puja pandal saidSharing information on how the pandemic affected the pandal members of the pandal said that the impact of Covid has been devastating ldquoWe had to unfortunately stop for two year but with Durga Maas blessings we are back againrdquo they concluded