Shivaji Park's Bengal Club is all set to celebrate its 80th Durga Puja with elaborate rituals, cultural activities and lip-smacking Bengali food. The club has been organising Durga Puja since 1935 and the red carpet is rolled out to around 10 lakh devotees every year. Though the Puja is revered by local Bengalis for being one of the oldest, the cosmopolitan neighbourhood also participates in a large number.
This year, the festivities will go on from October 18-22, marking the victory of Goddess Durga over demon Mahishasura. The main sponsors include Tata Housing, Hiranandani Group, Meru, Healthspring, In&Out advertising and dna. The main focus will be on elaborate morning pujas and the grand evening arti, at which six dhakis (traditional drummers) from Kolkata will lead the music. Specially choreographed dances paying obeisance to the goddess by the club's members will be performed every evening. Interactive programmes have been organised on two evenings – October 17 (culinary skills) and October 21 (Garba).
Bengal Club was constituted in the 1920s by a few visionaries who aimed at forming a community club that will conduct itself as a non-profit organisation to promote charitable, cultural and sports activities.
