It was sometimes August when we decided that Bondhu Mahal will not organize Durga Puja this year. The main reason was lack of finances. The same evening I got a call from Abhijeet Chatterjee saying we should at least give another try and organize Puja. Just to send him for red herring I asked him to do some ground work that includes search a park where we can organize Puja and look at the financial part too.

Lo and behold! After just two days three musketeers – Abhijeet, Prateek and Sachin – were at my doorstep. They had done the homework. They located a park at the main road where Puja could be organized and had even taken permission from the patron of the residents’ welfare association. Sachin opened a copy and said: “Kaku, the Puja will cost us Rs 3 lakh and the fund we will be able to generate.

I looked at them intently. I tried to convince them that Bondhu Mahal does not have that much of money and argued why to go for another Puja when we already have four Pujas in Indira Nagar.

“Why you are saying no. Have faith on us. We will organize Puja. We have a strong team that has years of experience organizing Puja,” Abhijeet said.

There was “something” in his words which I could not ignore. I was reminded of a three year old incident when this very Abhijeet had challenged the dictatorship of a moron and this angry self-styled leader had asked youth (whom he called londey) to prove themselves by organising puja.

Probably this was the time for Abhijeet to redeem himself. I said Bondhu Mahal cannot organize Puja at park. But yes, it could be done at someone’s place because we are low on finances. Abhijeet offered lawn of his house. A meeting of the members was called next Sunday and unanimously we decided to organize Puja at B-1066, Indira Nagar.

What a Puja it was! Every member of Bondhu Mahal worked like a well-oiled machine. Members contributed whole-heartedly. Women came up with new ideas and our theme of “Save Girl Child” added a meaning to our Puja. Everyone put in their bits. Women joined hands to cook Ma’s bhog, male took responsibility of general kitchen and others did the sundry work. Children participated in a drawing competition on the theme “Save Girl Child”. The drawing competition was sponsored by the organisation Save the Children, Lucknow.

Gobino Da (R.G. Paramanik) – the magician - transformed the Puja pandal into a mystic world of thermocol that added sheen to the majestic grandeur of Ma Durga.

We got a good response from public. They offered all kinds of help. A person offered to donate Ma’s protima for the next year and another offered donations for next year general bhog.

What else one wants. It was a small Puja. Yes, foot fall may be less as compared to other puja pandal but we ensured religious fervor and warmth at our Pandal. Whosoever came here returned home satisfied - and that is Bondhu Mahal’s USP.

Glimpses

Drawing Competition

View More