It’s 100 years of Durga puja for the Bengalis here in Daltonganj and the community is all out to make it a grand celebration this season.
Chhaya Chatterjee, a teacher in a local college, is busy with fund raising from Bengalis who are engaged in banks, trades, insurance sector, healthcare, teaching etc.
Kaushik Mallick, secretary of the centenary year celebration committee of this puja, said, “We are in touch with our brothers and sisters living abroad like the US and Canada and are seeking help from them and they are too glad to be a part of it”. These NRIs are sending their families money for the celebration. “This is a great thing to further cement our bond with them,” he added.
Sources said some 20 years back Daltonganj town had a fair population of the Bengalis who had their sway over the economy here but with the passage of time most of them abandoned this place, sold off their property and settled in Kolkata. The Bengalis are remembered for their peaceful living.
Kaushik Mallick said, “In this puja we will remember those who are now in eternity. There would be a white board to mark a memorium for all those who left us for their heavenly abode in these hundred years.
The Bengalis will be in their traditional attire this season as Bengali paridhan is different and identifiable, he said. In the prabhat pheri due this September 28 the men, women and children of this community will be in their paridhan with dhaak, kansor and shankh, the musical instrument accompanying them, said Mallick.
The committee is waiting for the Election Commission of India’s announcement with regard to the model code of conduct. If it comes in before the puja, then the committee will go for inauguration of the 100 years celebration by the civil and the police administration on September 26. Otherwise, MP V D Ram and Minister K N Tripathy will do it, said Mallick.