Muslims resume Kolkata Durga Puja after 9 years with the help of Hindu families

Muslim residents of a neighborhood in Kolkata are reviving Durga Puja with fanfare under the guidance of Hindu families there. According to the Times of India report, the puja was stopped for nine years after Bengali Hindu residents of the area left the area. The three families that were left behind were unable to continue the ritual of worship in the area near Alimuddin street. Now a pandal is being built near Pratt Memorial School on AJC Bose Road. The report said that two members of Hindu families who were left behind—Jayant and Sharmila Sen—were approached by local Muslim residents to inquire about the conduct of the puja, as they were not aware of the rituals involved. Were. Sharmila said that the couple were both shocked and touched by the gesture.

Organizing a celebration of the grandeur of Durga Puja in Kolkata is no small feat and takes a long time of planning and fund management. Naturally, this had to be done for this, and by those who were not well versed about it. First, a group was formed and funds were arranged, after which Jayant Sen, Mohd Tausif Rehman and others received the Durga idol from Kumartuli, the Times of India reported. Kumartuli in the northern part of the city is the center of the famous artisans of Kolkata, especially known for the manufacture of clay Durga idols for almost every major puja in the city. Rehman, a social activist, said the puja in the area would further strengthen the communal harmony. There has been a long tradition of such peaceful coexistence between different sects of people. The report said that the Alimuddin Gali area is predominantly of the lower middle class, mostly Urdu-speaking Muslims.