Calcutta mayor Firhad Hakim said on Monday nothing should be done to inconvenience visitors who arrive in the city for Durga Puja.

He was speaking at the opening of the Puja preview show organised by massArt, which took place at the Tala Prattoy pandal in the presence of diplomats from several countries among other guests.

“There would be joy and sorrow, justice and injustice as also protests around the
year. But we should not do anything that would cause problems for those who visit the city for Durga Puja. Yes, an act of injustice has taken place. We all want punishment for the guilty. The case is being heard in court. We must remember that Puja not only brings joy but also earns bread for a large section of the people. It is a key driver for Bengal’s economy,” the mayor said, referring to Durga Puja as the “greatest show on earth”.

Several protest events are planned over the next couple of days, including a rally
from College Square to Rabindra Sadan at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, called by the Joint Platform of Doctors and several outfits that the Calcutta High Court allowed on Monday.

Also on stage at the event on Monday evening were the deputy ambassador of Ireland Raymond Mullen, massArt founder-secretary Dhrubajyoti Bose and Tala Prattoy president Tarun Saha.

Mullen referred to the friendship between Irish poet W.B. Yeats and Rabindranath Tagore, and the vibrancy of Irish street art and the grandeur of Calcutta’s cultural celebration. He also spoke of “shared cultural reverence for feminine forces, symbolised in the Irish goddess Danu and the Indian goddess Durga”. “These symbols also underscore the importance of women’s empowerment and gender equality which are central to Irish and Indian societal progress,” he said.

Bose said Durga Puja was the biggest calling card of Bengal and that there was a need to plan better and raise global awareness about Puja.

“The youth need to be injected with the Puja spirit to take the festival to the next level,” he said.

This is the third year of the preview show which would allow pass-holders access to 24 chosen community pujas from 6pm to 5am and two household pujas from 11am to 6pm till October 4. Several diplomats based in Calcutta attended the inauguration and then went on a guided tour as part of the show.