National
‘Vijaya Dashami’ celebrated across Bengal as Durga Puja ends (Lead)
Kolkata, Sep 30 (IANS) Devotees thronged marquees and community pujas across West Bengal on Saturday to bid farewell to Goddess Durga on “Vijaya Dashami”, the last day of the festival.
With anticipation of the homecoming of the deity next year, married women decked in the ritualistic red-and-white saris marked the event with the customary “Sindoor Khela” or smearing each other and the idols with red vermillion to prepare Goddess Durga and her four children — Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik — for their return to their heavenly abode on Mount Kailash.
As part of the observances, enthusiasts cutting across religious and age barriers indulged in “dhunuchi naach” – dancing to the beat of the ‘dhaak’ (drums) holding aloft earthen bowls laden with incense and camphor.
Decorated with lights and garlands at the entry gate, the prominent river banks in the city bore a festive look, poised for the immersion ceremony on Saturday afternoon. The drum players, busy playing the signature tune of ‘Visarjan’ (ritual of immersion), made way for the idols to be carried into water.
Young and old devotees joined hands to complete the final rituals before immersing the goddess at the end of the five day festivity. Some teenagers were busy clicking selfies with the goddess smeared with vermilion and flowers.
At Babughat, one of the prominent immersion banks in Kolkata, the immersion started from around 2 p.m., which was halted for nearly half an hour due to a sudden shower. Several household and housing complex pujas gathered at the entry gate with the face of the idols covered in plastic. The immersion restarted after the rainfall had reduced.
“We all wait for this festival every year as it is so close to our hearts. It seems the four days of the puja gets over in the blink of an eye and on ‘Dashami’ we all come here with a heavy heart as our mother is going away,” said a veteran member of central Kolkata’s Mukherjee family where the goddess is being worshiped for the last 75 years.
“We all shall eagerly wait again for the next year. This festival is so special because it brings joy to everyone across the society,” he added.
An amount of enthusiasm could be seen among the youngsters present at the river banks as some of them have come to watch the immersion for the first time. After four days of pandal hopping, they were busy capturing the ritual in their cameras.
“I have heard about the wonderful immersion ceremony here in Kolkata. Last year I watched the pandals here but missed out on this part. So this year I have come to Babughat with my uncle. The emotion around the festival is wonderful,” said Amit Parekh who stays in Delhi.
A salient feature at Babughat was the alacrity with which the premise was being promptly cleaned by the 20 KMC workers after each idol was placed in the river. The flowers and debris are washed away and the structures removed to prevent river pollution.
Tight security arrangements were made on all the ghats. Police vans were posted at the entry gates and the boats were kept ready in case of any emergency.
With most of the community pujas opting not to immerse the goddess on Saturday and Sunday, the tenth day of Muharram, the rush at the river banks were relatively less.
Before the pujas, the West Bengal government had issued a notice prohibiting the Durga idol immersion after 6 p.m. on September 30 (Dashami) and for the entire day on October 1, the ‘Ashura’ day of Muharram, observed as a solemn day by Muslims.
However, the Calcutta High Court rejected the state government’s directive and permitted the idol immersion to take place on all days till midnight starting from Dussehra.
According to the police, the popular dates of immersion would be on October 2 and 3. However there would be around 8-10,000 personnel posted at the immersion banks to avoid any untoward incidents.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wished people on the occasion through a Twitter post. Former India captain Saurav Ganguly also took to twitter to everyone well on the auspicious occasion.
At the prominent community pujas in the city, enthusiasts queued up even on Saturday to complete their last round of pandal hopping.
There were long queues before sweet shops as people started visiting relatives and friends to wish each other “Shubho Bijoya (Happy Vijaya Dashami)”.
–IANS
mgr-dm/vd
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
