This year, Ghaziabad to witness an ‘all-women-led’ Durga Puja

The event, ‘Ananya Nari’, organised by Shalimar Garden Mahila Sewa Samiti, between October 1 and 5, members of the Samiti said, will be a complete ‘nari shakti initiative’. The event will include various cultural events, as well as bhandara and prasad distribution, by women executive members of the Samiti. There are more than 40 women in the Samiti, and while the majority are from Shalimar Garden, the others are residents of Delhi and Noida.

According to Papri Chakraborty, president of the Samiti, the executive committee consists of 25 women. “From the beginning, we have seen that men have been at the helm of organising Durga Puja events. Whether it is the organisation of the puja or conducting the puja itself, it is the men who are at the forefront with the women being
relegated to taking care of things like cooking. For the first time, women will be helming the entire event with four priestesses and two drummers who will be arriving from Kolkata,” Chakraborty said.

A teacher of 30 years, Chakraborty has been the principal of Noida’s Fortune World School at Sector 105 since 2014. She and four-five teachers have made it a mission to increase the participation of women not just for this event but for future events that they intend to organise. “Everyone can participate in this Durga Puja devoid of caste, gender or religion. Anybody can come and make bhog (prasad) for Ma Durga. Initially, it was difficult to find acceptance, but gradually a lot of women joined this samiti and are working towards making this a success,” she said, adding that most of the members are teachers or involved in the profession including the priestesses who will be participating.

Their spouses, meanwhile, are preparing to lend a hand. According to D D Biswas, husband of Gargi Biswas, a member of the executive committee, supporting his wife to ensure the smooth organisation of ‘Ananya Nari’ is of utmost importance. The event will be organised at a banquet hall in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, with pujas between 7 am and 10 am every day followed by other functions. The samiti will distribute prasad/bhandara/langar, members said. Professional artists from Kolkata and also from adjoining areas will enthral the audience during the evening time, they added.