State set to celebrate 'Dasro' with religious fervor
Heather Fernandes-Colaco
PANAJI
The religious festival of Dussehra is marked by a kind of boisterous revelry rarely seen in other sacred events. Predominantly celebrated by the Bengali and Gujarati communities of India, Durga Puja epitomises the victory of good over evil. Celebrated for nine days in Gujarat (it's a six day long festival in West Bengal), each day of the festival celebrates the nine different forms of shakti or Mother Durga.
In Goa, the biggest durga puja in Panjim happens at the colourful pandal temporarily erected opposite the KTC bus stand at Panjim.
“The Janhit Seva Mandal has been organising Sarvajanik Durga Puja at KTC bus stand for the last 15 years,” informs Sanjeev Kushwah.
“Made up of various small and big business-owners from in and around Panjim, the main objective behind organising the festival is to awaken the people's spirituality and to foster brotherly love towards each other,” says Ramyad Bhagat, the president of the mandal.
According to the mandal's Vice President Sunherilal Kushwah who has been a part of the celebration and organization of the event in Goa since its first edition 15 years ago, the event is a true community festival. “People of all castes, religions and backgrounds visit the mandap to seek Maa Durga's blessings. We even see tourists visiting Goa stopping by to join in the revelry.”
“This includes nine days of bhajans, kirtans, pravachans (spiritual talks), dandiya, folk dances, musical performances and other cultural and religious programmes,” informs Vinod Kumar Gupta, the general secretary of the organisation.
Inside the mandal is a large statue of Goddess Durga especially handcrafted by Bengali artisans from Vasco. Some of the mud/clay for this statue is even sourced directly from West Bengal in keeping with the traditions of the festival. And in keeping with previous years, lunch made up of vegetarian delicacies is served free of cost for as many as 2000 people on the last day. After this, the main statue of Maa Durga is taken out in a procession, loaded on to a ferry boat especially commandeered for the occasion and immersed in the River Mandovi.
