A month before Puja, Bengal will on September 1 celebrate the Unesco’s “Intangible cultural heritage” status for Kolkata’s Durga Puja by organising processions across the state, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday.
“Women beneficiaries of the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme will blow conch shells (to celebrate the status), others will pray following their respective religions,” she said.
The processions will start at 1pm. The chief minister will lead one of the processions, which will start from Shyambazar in north Kolkata.
“It is our duty to tell the world how Bengal honours a recognition. All departments will have to take this up as a challenge,” Mamata said.
Durga Puja 2022 starts on October 1 and ends on October 5. Around 2,500 community pujas are held in Kolkata and more than 36,000 in the entire state.
In December, Unesco had added Kolkata's Durga Puja to its “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” list.
“Ebare pujor carnival Red Road e dekhar moto korbo, (This year's Puja carnival on Red Road will be spectacular),” Mamata said. “I am requesting the tourism department in advance to invite all diplomats to the carnival.”
Durga Puja has been very close to Mamata, who inaugurates a number of pujas in the city. The Bengal government has been granting Rs 50,000 to each of the clubs organising the Puja for the last two years to help them beat the pandemic-induced crisis.
“I will request the tourism, and the information and cultural affairs departments to draw a logo for the occasion… all clubs and committees across Bengal will use this logo,” Mamata said.
Soon after the Unesco’s recognition, the chief minister had tweeted:
“To every Bengali across the world, Durga Puja is much more than a festival, it is an emotion that unites everyone. And now, Durga Puja has been added to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. We are all beaming with joy!”
Puja organisers said they would scale up the festivity this year provided they are not held back by funds crunches like the last two years.
“All of us will want to make it a grand celebration. But the funds need to flow,” said Kajal Sarkar, president of the Forum for Durgostav.