At 26 feet, Vashi has India’s tallest Durga idol

On Durgostav, Bengalis all over the city welcomed Goddess Durga amidst much fanfare and cheer.

The first day of Navi Mumbai's Vashi Sarvajanik Durga puja, which is the most expensive (Rs 3 crore) puja in Vashi, turned out to be more than magnificent. 

With thousands of devotees pouring into the grounds at Sector 10A, to catch a glimpse of the country's tallest Durga idol, the atmosphere was filled with a unique festive energy.

The morning began with a puja. Head priest Devi Prasad Chakraborty had come all the ay from Jairambathi, Kolkata. He chanted mantras, while his assistant Sandhu Bhattacharya handed him ingredients required to perform each part of the puja.

"This year Durga was seen on an elephant. Performing the puja takes time as with Durga, her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Karthikeya also have to be worshipped. Nine different kinds of plants, with banana leaves are tied together and used to welcome the goddess," he explained.

All those who visited the Vashi Sarjavanik Durga puja pandal, a replica of Kolkata's Dakshineshwar temple, were amazed at the 100ft pandal, built over 3000sq m. The pandal was made using recyclable eco-friendly items.

"Highly-skilled artisans from rural Bengal had been called to make this 26-foot idol of Durga mata. We also had a truckload of sand from the bed of river Ganges to build the idols. With celebrities from the music industry like Shaan and Shankar Mahadevan coming to perform, everyone will enjoy," said Asit Ghosh, president of Sarvajanik Vashi Durga Puja.

The evening ended with a mega performance by renowned Bengali singer Pratik Chowdhury entertaining audiences with some Bengali and Hindi songs. "The audiences in this city are extremely welcoming and receptive,” he said.