Where there are Bengalis, there is Durga Puja. Shakti Puja i.e. worshiping Kali and Durga and visiting Puri for darshan of Lord Jagannath is in the very blood of the Bengalis.
And as a part of their devotion to the divine Mother, the Kalibari Trust is celebrating the 100 years of ‘Sarvajanina Durga Puja’ in Sambalpur with much enthusiasm.
The history of Durga Puja goes back to 100 years when a few senior people of the Bengali community started worshipping the Mother during Navratra and Durga Puja on the day of Dussehra in 1918. They purchased a land for Rs 13 and made a thatched house there to begin with the Puja. They named it as ‘Kalibari’-the home of Maa Kali where they worshipped Kali and Durga, informed secretary of the Kalibari Trust Arun Kumar Mukherjee.
Jogendranath Sen, Ramani Ranjan Basu, Radhikanath Roy, Satya Ranjan Guha and Sushil Kumar Sarkar, in the year 1916, formed Kalibari Trust and started the Kali Puja in the same year.
Later in 1918, they also began the Sarvajanina Durga Puja. Amiya Kumar Ghosh popularly known as Manik Daa, Nityananda Das, Bimal Chandra Kar kept the tradition going with much more zest and zeal.
It needs mention that the Kalibari Mandap (stage) is the oldest Mandap of western Odisha and that has witnessed the presence of many VVIPs and VIPs of the country including the former President Pranab Mukherjee. At the same time, this particular Mandap has also contributed immensely in nurturing many renowned artists of present and past. To commemorate the centenary celebration, a 13- day-long cultural programme is being organised with presence of cultural troupes from all over the country and also topmost political leaders including Governor of Odisha Prof Ganeshi Lal are slated to come. Sprinter Duti Chand has also consented to pay a visit, the organizers informed.
It needs a mention that Jayabrata Dey, a youth social activist, is the person who is playing a key role as the chief coordinator to make it possible and successful. Interestingly enough, as part of the broad mindset, fellow feeling and brotherhood, the Bengali community has not kept the celebration confined among them.
All the communities of the town have been involved in the celebration and they are seen actively participating on all occasions. Kishore Kumar Mohanty, ex-Speaker of Assembly is the chairman of the centenary celebration committee.
“I feel proud to keep myself involved in the centenary celebration committee of Maa Durga,” said Jashbir Singh Hura, vice-chairman of the committee and a reputed businessman of the town.