Thiruvananthapuram, October 9, 2013: As Navarathri celebrations make the city wallow in festive joy, the thumping music and colourful Dandiya scenes are getting all the more vivid.

For the Gujarati community in the city, the celebrations began on October 5. Some 150 of them gather every night near Rangavilasom Palace at East Fort for Durga Puja and Dandiya programmes from 8.30 p.m. till late into the night.

Gujarat Samaj president Arun Kumar H. Patel says the programmes will continue till October 13.

The Trivandrum Bengalee Association is gearing up to launch its 43rd Durga Puja celebrations in the city, in association with the Vivekananda Centenary Memorial Institute. S. Ramakrishnan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, will inaugurate the celebrations on Friday at Vivekananda Memorial Hall (Hassan Marikar Hall), near AKG Centre, on Sunday.

Amitava Mandal, secretary of the association, says the puja will be celebrated till October 14 with a bouquet of cultural programmes and competitions, especially for children.

The cultural programme, he says, will include the Vivekananda Vandana, a special musical tribute to Vivekananda on his 150th birth anniversary. A classical dance, “An ode to the universal energy,” will be presented. A children’s drama, Artha Bibhrat , will be staged.

A children’s dance, “Rituranga — an elaboration of six seasons,” which has lyrics and musical compositions of Rabindranath Tagore will be presented.

An inter-school Joy memorial quiz will be part of the celebrations.

Source: The Hindu, October 9, 2013