Bombay Durgabari Samiti turns 91, goes digital this year – Times of India

One of the oldest Durga Pujas of Mumbai, the Bombay Durgabari Samiti actually dates back to 1930. The five-day long, traditional puja and revelry, is loved by patrons across the city, mostly because of the unique ‘ghoroa’ (homely) nature. For the first time in nine decades, this year the puja will literally become a ‘ghoroa’ one, meaning everyone will get to enjoy Pujo only from the comfort and safety of their homes.
Bombay Durgabari Samiti wll go purely digital this year, however, will continue to promote the culture and ethos of Bengal and bring it to the people of Mumbai. All rituals will be conducted keeping in mind the new normal.
Susmita Mitra, President says, “We have been celebrating Durga Puja in an environmentally friendly way and hope to continue doing so in the years to come. After all Durga Puja is the celebration of the victory of good over evil and one of the greatest challenges that we face today is the ongoing pandemic and now the threat to our world is now greater than ever. Keeping the safety of our devotees in mind, we have with heavy hearts decided to do away with our traditional celebrations and honour Maa Durga with a ‘ghot pujo’ which we will digitally broadcast on various social media platforms.”
The organisers say that all the traditional pujos and rituals including Pushpanjali, Arati, Shondhi Pujo, Maa’er Bhog, will be carried out at Sangam Hall, Marine Drive and will be digitally broadcasted to all devotees on multiple social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter.
The orgainsers inform us that in light of the pandemic and safety of members and devotees, they are going to have a no-guest Durga Puja this time. “This will be the first time in 91 years of our Puja heritage that we are having a ceremonial Ghot Pujo instead of a Murti Pujo,” says one of the organisers, adding, “Ghot Pujo, essentially means worshipping an urn symbolising the goddess. There will be five urns symbolising Maha Durga and each of her children.”
Shrimati Mitali Poddar, Convenor of the Protima Committee explains, “Keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic that we find ourselves in the middle of, an in house talent of ours – Arunima Bhattacharya is creating a three-dimensional backdrop of Maa Durga and her children as we do not have a Murti Puja this year.”
The backdrop will be ‘Eak Chaler’ which means all idols surrounded by one halo. This form of idol, has been followed traditionally for many years by the Bombay Durgabari Samiti. Durga Puja is not the only festival celebrated by the Samiti, every year they also celebrate the Bengali New Year along with Kabiguru’s birth anniversary followed by Sharodutsav, Kojagori Lakshmi Puja, Kali Puja and BasantUtsavs.
Jayati Dasgupta, Chairperson of Bombay Durgabari Samiti, states that, as an organization, the Samiti has always believed in promoting performing arts and artists from diverse backgrounds, while endeavouring to achieve its philanthropic objectives. The programmes organised by the Samiti reflect the cultural ethos of India and meet our objective of furthering National Integration. However, this year, any programmes that we do will be no attendance programmes and will be digitally live streamed to our viewers.
Being a charitable institution, the Samiti actively undertakes various charitable initiatives including:
·Granting scholarships to underprivileged and deserving students under the aegis of the Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Education Fund;
·Supporting The Society for the Education of the Crippled, Agripada in their stupendous work done in the field of education;
·Distributing food grains to organisations looking after and providing education to underprivileged children, etc. As has been the case for many years now, ‘bhog’ is distributed to a large number of underprivileged and less fortunate persons, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. 2018 was the first time in the Samiti’s history,

sarees that were received over the Puja days were donated

to Pranab Kanya Sangha, an organisation that they have supported for several years.
·They partnered with Robin Hood’s Army (RHA) for the first time in 2018 and have continued ever since and bhog has reached many more hungry mouths as a result of this association.