Hearty Pooja Greetings…

As the clock of time continues, one more year has passed and it is the festival time to rejoice and share good time with family and friends. I extend my good wishes to you all, at this occasion.

The mythological background of Durga puja dates back to the Puran age when the almighty goddess Durga saved the universe by killing the demon mahishasura. The worship of goddess comprehends the victory of good over evil in the same way as we overcame the severe pandemic CORONA, about two years back.

I am proud of my team PBCS and their achievements in the past couple of years and express my deepest appreciation for them, and for my senior members, patrons and all those who envisioned and helped me to reach this far. 

The past few years have been rather quite heavy for all of us due to many unforeseen reasons. I hope we all shall remain united and come together for strengthening our society as a whole. It is time to join hands and become invincible. 

In the year gone by we have had moments of joy, jubilation and sorrows. Personnel losses have occurred this year too. We lost Shri T.K. Mukherjee (BabunDa), Dr Brotati Chatterjee, Mr Debashish Mukherjee and Mr Aroop Mukherjee. I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families and pray to the almighty to give strength and peace.

I take this opportunity to extend my thanks on behalf of the organization to all those who have contributed whole heartedly, financially and physically towards making this mega event a success.

I wish Happy Durga Puja to one and all.

Another different view is that "Kola Bou" is a symbolic representation of nine types of plants that form a sacred complex. Priests tie a bunch of eight plants on the trunk of the banyan tree before performing the ritual. The nine different leaves combined together form "Kola Bou"-often considered as the plant form of Durga. As per Hindu mythology, the festival marks Goddess Durga's visit to her natal home along with her children. Durga Puja is preceded by Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of Durga's journey 
to her home. The actual puja starts from "Maha Sashthi" or the sixth day where devotees welcome the Goddess with pomp and gusto. On this day, Durga's deity is unveiled in front of the public. Several rituals are performed while the "dhakis" keep the mood and spirit of the puja alive by playing the "dhak"—a kind of drum that's associated with the puja and Bengali culture.

The 7th day marks the commencement of "Maha Saptami". On this day, just before dawn, a banana tree is immersed in the water as a part of the ritual. After the ceremonial bath, the tree or "Kola Bou" (as called in Bengali) is draped in a saree, usually a red-bordered one, and placed on the right-side of Ganesha, thereby implying that "Kola Bou" is actually the bride of Ganesha. However, several cultural revisionists and historians have different views on this as some believe 
that "Kola Bou" is another representation of Durga. Hence, they refute the theory that "Kola Bou" is the bride of Ganesha. "Maha Ashtami" marks the 8th of the puja and is considered as the day when the Goddess defeated "Mahisasura". Prayers are offered in the form of "Anjali" while feasts are organised in different localities. Khichdi and other delicacies are prepared on this day.

The 9th day is dubbed as "Maha Navami". As soon as the "Sandhi Puja" ends, Maha Navami commences. Maha Aarti is performed as a closing ritual. Huge queues are common on this day as people flock in to take part in "Maha Aarti". The 10th day or "Maha Dashami" marks the final day of Durga Puja. On this day, Durga and the other deities are immersed in the river Ganga. Before the immersion, married women take part in "Sindoor Khela" where they smear vermillion on each other's 
faces. On the day of immersion, also called "Visarjan", huge processions are common. People dance and cheer on the road to celebrate the spirit of the puja. After the immersion, a typical custom is followed where people visit their relatives' house to wish "Bijoya Dashami".