ICCR organised Top Diplomats’ visit to Durga Puja

Partha Roy, Kolkata: ICCR zonal office in Kolkata organised visit of top diplomats based in Kolkata to several award winning theme based Durga Puja in North & South Kolkata on 29th September 2022, i.e. on Dr ” Chaturthi” of Navaratri.

Consul General of USA Ms. Melinda Pavek , Consul General of Japan Mr. Nakagawa Koichi ,Consul General of Thailand Ms.Acharapan Yavaprapas ,Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh Mr.Andalib Elias, Director ,Goeth Institute Ms. Astrid Wege and several others visited Durga Puja at Tala Prattoy, Lala Bagan Nabankur, Chorebagan Sarbojanin, in north Kolkata and
Kalighat Milon Sangha, Tridhara, Ballygunge Cultural Association ,and Deshpriya Park in south Kolkata. Top Diplomats were accompanied by Director of ICCR Ms. Minakshi Misra , Regional Director of ICCR Mr. R. Parthiban, former Regional Director of ICCR Mr. Gautam De.

Theme based Durga Puja in Kolkata is arguably largest public art display festival in the world. Tala Prattoy pandal is celebrating power of human touch where theme is ” Riti Motion”. One can feel the energy as one enters the pandal. Organisers of Tala Prattoy pandal welcomed the visiting dignitaries with ” uttoriyo” and with beating of Dhak. Mr. Andalib Elias decided to try his hand on Dhak and played Dhak at Tala Prattoy pandal.

Durga Puja is intangible cultural heritage of Indian subcontinent. Across Bangladesh, a large no. of
Durga Puja are organised by Hindu community every year.

Though ICCR Kolkata was organising visit of diplomats & important celebrities to puja pandals earlier , this years’ visit by diplomats to various puja pandals has special significance as it is for the first time after UNESCO inscripted Durga Puja in Kolkata in the list of intangible heritage of the world.

Theme based Durga Puja started in 1930s by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the great son of Bharat Mata who was involved in organising several Durga Pujas in Kolkata.

Theme based Durga Puja provides great opportunity to the organisers to promote social awareness about various issues & challenges those are affecting life of human beings as well as society at large on the planet earth. As the climate change is global issue, organisers of many theme based Durga Puja highlighted it through their decoration of pandals.

Enthusiasm of the diplomats in the city was visible in their interaction with the organisers and in their involvement to understand various themes of various puja pandals. Chorebagan Sarbojanin organisers served cold drink to the guests. At Kalighat Milon Sangha ,the organisers served tea to the visiting dignitaries.

At Ballygunge Cultural Association, the organisers welcomed the visiting dignitaries by doing aarti, putting tika on forehead, playing conch shell. The organisers also served snacks and tea to the guests. The tour came to end by visiting Deshopriyo Park pandal and with greetings” Sharadiya Subechha” and Happy Durga Puja to all.