Pandal of the Dakshinayan Apartments puja arrangements in Sector 4, Dwarka
Durga Puja celebrations in Dakshinayan Apartments in Sector 4 is arguably the biggest puja inside a society in Dwarka. With the largest Bengali community in the sub-city, separate pandals for the statue and cultural activities, various stalls of jewellery, food, electronics and entertainment, no wonder the venue is witnessing a footfall of around 25,000-30,000 (according to a member of the puja committee) every day of the puja.
“You can imagine how fulfilling it is for us to see something of this scale happening in a society, and when people appreciate our efforts. We take on this huge responsibility every year because we love to see the residents, their families, friends and visitors have a great time,” says Shakuntala Raha, joint chief convener of Dakshinayan Puja Samiti.
It was a family affair initially when Dakshinayan Puja Samiti conducted its first puja in 2002. Chitralekha Samaddar, a member of the puja committee, shares, “In West Bengal, established families or the erstwhile zamindar families have a tradition of conducting their very own Durga Puja in their homes. So for the residents of Dakhshinayan society, it was an honour to have their very own Durga Puja within the society boundaries. What began as a small family affair, slowly and steadily gained momentum and today, in the 15th year of the puja, the compound is full of the energy and aroma of a Bengali Durga Puja.”
The organisers have formed various sub-committees to manage the programmes. Samaddar adds, “The cultural committee tells us that the programmes we organise every year are as much of a crowd-puller as the food. Today is Ashtami, and the security team is gearing up to manage a huge crowd in the evening. Women of the society will perform sandhi puja, where they will dance in front of the deity’s idol with burning pots, which is known as dhunuchi naach to Bengalis. The dhakis, or traditional drummers, will add to this with their energetic beats.”
There is also a committee that handles sports events for children and adults. “These events are planned around the puja, because this is when everyone comes together. This morning they had a competition for shankha dhwani, where one had to blow the conch as long as one could in one breath. The winner went on for 28.5 seconds, beating her own record of 25 seconds from last year. For kids, there is a treasure hunt under way, while the drawing and fancy dress competitions have already been concluded,” says Vikramjit Purkayastha, another member of the puja committee.
Durga Puja at Dakshinayan Apartments is a sight to behold. Women dressed in gorgeous sarees with the signature Bengali bindi, and the men attired in dhotis or churidars with bright kurtas set the festive mood. As a reminder, the committee also prints a souvenir every year. This year is special, as they are printing their 16th edition and an all-women’s team has put it together.
In keeping with Bengali tradition, the puja every year has cultural programmes based on Bengal's folk culture. Sometimes the pandal shows a glimpse of Kolkata's Kalibari, while at others it depicts the pagoda temples of Madhya Pradesh. This year it is depicting a temple with a coloured gate styled on traditional art.
Dipankar Mukherjee, chief convener of the cultural sub-committee says, “Even though we are far away from Bengal, it’s a good opportunity to get close to our roots and our culture, and to keep it alive for our children. We try our best to add as much culture and tradition in our celebration as we can for the next generations.”
The number of activities organised in the society is more than that of any other celebration. Moreover, the cultural events are as big as those organised by the bigger puja committees such as Bangia Samaj, Aaikotan, Deepanwita and Agomani, which celebrate the festival outside societies at a function site.
Speaking about its popularity, Ankur Bhattacharya, who is looking after resource mobilisation of the puja, says, “Our stalls get booked way before the puja. In fact, some vendors even book for next year at the end of that year's puja. As far as the crowd is concerned, thousands of people from Dwarka and various parts of West Delhi visit every year.”
