Patna, September 27, 2013: Among thousands of Durga puja samitis celebrating Durga Puja in the city, there are many that have been celebrating it for over a century, and have witnessed the changing trends of worshipping 'Maa'- from skits staging lives of deities to orchestras and USB hard discs to store numerous songs on Durga. Yet, they have stood the test of time.

Shri Badi Devi Ji Puja Prabandhak Samiti, Marufganj, will celebrate Puja for the 195th year this year. Founded by Avnikant Saha in 1818, the puja celebration is now looked after by the fourth generation of the Sahas. On the last three days of the 10-day festival, more than five lakh people pay obeisance to goddess Durga, claimed Alipto Saha, puja prabandhak, and said 'kalash sthapan' takes place on the fifth day. The cost comes to almost Rs 14 lakh, which they manage from the annual rent collected from the land they have let out for parking purpose.

On the seventh day, the 'pran pratistha' of the idol is performed and from eighth day, the grand 'bhandara' opens and prasad is distributed among the devotees. "I had heard from my father that 'Ramleela' used to be staged and people gathered in large numbers to watch it, but we could never match that grandeur. Now, we only organize a grand and pious puja and arti," said Saha.

Another old organizer is Shri Shri Durga Puja Samiti at Durga Ashram, Sheikhpura (Bailey Road), which will celebrate Puja for the 140th time this year. "A brahmin dreamt of goddess Durga asking him to perform puja and one of his descendants perform puja from the fifth day," said Upendra Singh, president of the samiti.

Here too, 'kalash sthapan' takes place on the fifth day, instead of the first day. "Once, when we did it on the first day, the pandal caught fire on the seventh day," said Singh. From 'panchami' to 'navami', 'mahabhog' is organized and on 'navami', "'chhappan bhog' is offered to Maa," said Singh and added that the 'bhog' is followed by an arti.

"We are the oldest among the Bengali puja samitis in Patna," asserted the secretary of 120-year-old Bangali Akhara, Saurav Bhattacharya. The 'bhog' is something special that people wait for. Durga Puja is celebrated here since 1893. Dhaki playing on saptami, ashtami and navami, 'Kanya Pujan' on ashtami, 'Dhunuchi naach' on 'ashtami' and 'navami' after 'aarti' and 'sindoor holi' on 'dashmi' are the trend that the Bangali Akhara would be following for 121st year this year. "We perform 'pran pratistha' of the idols with water of seven oceans which we get from Kolkata," saidgeneral secretary Subhendu Ghosh.

Chhoti Devi at Maharajganj, R-Block and PWD Colony, Ram Krishna Mission, Sri Sri Badi Patandevi and Sri Sri Chhoti Patandevi at Patna City too have been celebrating Durga Puja for quite a long time.

Source: The Times of India, September 27, 2013