A North Kolkata Durga Puja committee is all set to host a fairly unusual group of visitors at its pandal this year – dogs. Following the success of its pet-friendly Durga Puja pandal last year, the Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club has planned a special ‘Durga Puja Bhog’ for its canine visitors this year.
“We all enjoy the festival with great food, why should they be left alone? So this time, our pandal is not only pet friendly but every dog will be served with good food meant for them,” said Biswajit Ghosh, general secretary of the club.
The Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club’s pet-friendly puja pandal last year was a roaring success and had created a buzz on social media. This year, its pandal is themed on Puri’s popular Durga Madhab Yatra. “This year, dogs can get a glimpse of Jagannath Mandir. We have made special arrangements where they will be served dog food as ‘special bhog’,” Ghosh added. Puja enthusiasts and dog lovers have already started pouring in from different areas to this puja pandal.
The Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club’s Puja pandal was inaugurated by Jagannath Daitapati l, the chief Daitapati servitor of Puri’s Jagannath Temple. A model of the temple has also been placed inside the temple near the Durga idol.
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Aryanagar Kishore Sangha puja invites dogs and birds for inauguration. (Express Photo: Sweety Kumari)
According to the organisers, the pandal theme tries to convey that ‘Shakti’ (power) is the infinite embodiment of ‘Prakriti’ (nature) and portrays herself in different roles of mother, sister, wife and daughter. “She is power unified and exists in all beings,” said Ghosh.
Meanwhile, another Durga Puja pandal in the northern part of Kolkata was inaugurated by dogs and birds. People with dwarfism who work in circuses and films were also a part of the inauguration of this Puja pandal at Belgharia.
“It is our 75th Puja this year. Our theme is ‘Ring Master’. Through our theme, we are trying to relive childhood memories related to a circus,” said Soumitra De Chowdhury, secretary of the Aryanagar Kishore Sangha. The Puja organisers said that with the circus business having shrunk over the last decade, people with dwarfism were finding it difficult to get jobs and have a steady income. To pay them respect, the Puja committee invited them as chief guests, the organisers added.