Preparations for Durgaostsav 2022 in full swing at Dwarka Kalibari

The sight of coming up Puja Pandals and Ramleela stages, heralds the festive season in the city. These days the sub-city of Dwarka looks pretty busy when it comes to puja pandals, as it hosts as many as six big pujas such as Aikotan, Deepanwita and Bangiya Samaj among others. The puja pandal at Dwarka Kalibari is one of the most popular ones in the subcity. A visit to the sector 13 puja site revealed enthusiastic preparations and a perceptible exuberance fueled by the fact that the puja pandal is being set up after a gap of two years owing to the pandemic.

This year, Dwarka Kalibari, Sector 13, Dwarka, will observe Durga Puja on the ground next to Dwarka Kalibari from September 30 to October 5, 2022, just as they did before the epidemic years. This year, all outdoor festivals and activities will be planned. The pandal work for Durga Puja is going on, on the ground.

The cultural celebration started on September 11 and will continue until 30 September, with events such as storytelling, poem recitation, songs, and a painting competition among others. These events will culminate with Anandomela, where the participating ladies will bring home-cooked food and sell them from specially set up stalls with the puja pandal.

Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, General Secretary, Dwarka Kalibari, says "After the pandemic we are all very excited to celebrate Durga Puja on this large scale. Weekend events are planned and Durgotsav 2022 banners and schedule charts for events are placed outside the temple. We welcome all the devotees to come to enjoy Durga Puja with us." Jayanta, also informed us that Anandomela will take place on 30 September.

Anupam, Priest of Dwarka Kalibari, says "The preparations for Durga Puja are going at full pace. The pandal work has started and events are taking place every weekend. Also, around the 23th or 25th of September, the half-constructed statue of Durga maa will come to this temple, and we'll make it complete and also decorate it. We'll do the full shringar of Durga maa's idol. The saree and shringar will come from Kolkata."

Tapas, another priest of Dwarka Kalibari, says " We can see the excitement of people because every day many people came and ask about the celebration, about how things will take place this year, and about pooja timings. Also, ladies are excited about Anandomela because it's a very important event for them. Dura Puja connects people emotionally and after two years of the pandemic, people are really looking forward to this."

Surabhi Oraon, a resident of Dwarka sector 8 says, "I love each and everything related to Durga Puja such as food, dance, and lots of positivity. When I look at Durga Maa, I feel an emotional connection. So for me, Durga Puja is an emotion and a source of happiness that connects people because the whole community celebrates it together."