Non-Bengalis lead Allahpur Durga Puja

Prayagraj: Usually Durga Puja is associated with Bengalis but the Allahapur barwari in Sangam city is unique as all the members of this committee are from non-Bengali community.
However, all the rituals being followed in the pandal is as per Bengali tradition.
Talking to TOI, former general secretary of the committee, Sanjeev Kumar Singh said: “This barwari is very unique as all members are from non-Bengali community. Yet this Durga Puja is at par with any of the pujas in the city by different barwari’s. The barwari has hired chief priest from Burdwan district of West Bengal along with the ‘dhak’ players and the pandal makers.”
Remarkably, the utensils, used for the ‘bhog’ (prasad) offered to the deity during the four days of celebrations, are used only during the Durga Puja celebrations, said Singh, who hails from Ballia but can easily be mistaken for a ‘traditional Bengali’ during the puja celebrations of the barwari which is in its 17th year.
Throwing light on the theme of this year’s puja pandal, general secretary Rakesh Gupta said: “The pandal has been given a look of tricolour which is witnessed right from the entrance. The pandal is made 100% waterproof and all the upper part of the pandal, the main entrance and the interior decoration follows the pattern of tricolour.”
He further said all the responsibilities of the puja from preparing the ‘bhog’ of the deity to the interior decoration are done by non-Bengali members of the barwari.