Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated three puja pandals on Saturday and is expected to inaugurate around 3,000 puja pandals across the state over the next five days.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the chief minister of hurting Hindu sentiments by inaugurating puja pandals ahead of Mahalaya.
Mahalaya, which is on Sunday, marks the end of Pitru Paksha, a fortnight for honouring ancestors. It also marks the start of Devi Paksha, which leads to Durga Puja.
“I will be inaugurating three thousand puja pandals this year over the next four to five days,” Banerjee said while inaugurating a popular puja Tala Prattoy in north Kolkata.
The chief minister has also written the theme song of the puja which is celebrating their centenary year.
Banerjee, who has written and composed a few songs, said that two CDs comprising her songs are scheduled to be launched on Sunday. Singer and state minister Indranil Sen has sung the songs. She has also conceptualised the themes of some popular puja pandals in Kolkata.
“Today I am inaugurating the pandals only. From tomorrow I will be unveiling the idols of the Goddess also,” she said while inaugurating the Sreebhumi Sporting Club Durga Pujo Pandal.
Sujit Bose, state fire and emergency services minister, is the chief patron of this big-budget puja.
“Mahalaya marks the invocation of Maa Durga, the true herald of Shuva Sharadiya. But no, Mamata Banerjee can’t wait. She has to rush in with her political fanfare, turning a divine celebration into her personal PR stunt. This is disrespectful towards Hindu culture and traditions, a blatant attempt to dilute our customs to appease those who don’t share our faith,” Suvendu Adhikari, BJP MLA and leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly, wrote on X.
Around 3,000 pujas will be held in Kolkata by the community clubs and 42,000 more will be held in the districts. In addition, pujas are held at several homes, apartment buildings and smaller clubs. Most of the clubs are beneficiaries of the state grant.
UNESCO added Durga Puja in Kolkata to its 2021 list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, giving international recognition to the biggest religious festival of the 334-year-old city and the state.
This year West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has increased the state’s grant for community clubs that organise Durga Puja across Bengal from ₹85,000 each to ₹1.10 lakh.
“The chief minister inaugurated the pandals and started the festivities. She didn’t unveil the idols of Gods and Goddesses. Mamata Banerjee comes from a Hindu Brahmin family. Kali Puja is held at her residence,” Kunal Ghosh, TMC leader, told the media.