DURGA PUJA IN SILIGURI

Idol of Devi Durga in a Pandal of Vardaman Road (Siliguri) Last Year

Durga Puja is the most important festival of West Bengal.Similar to Ganesh Chaturthi of Maharashtra.Since Siliguri is the second most famous city of West Bengal( after Kolkata) therefore Puja celebrations take it's own independent shape here.I enjoy this place during this season because everything seems to be at its right place.Weather is pleasant. Flowers blossom.Greenery all around.No rains.I can pick up any day to visit my favourite Kurseong-Mirik track.Dudhiya River .My wanderlust can be utilized to its most on these days.Ofcourse one cannot manage to miss the enthusiasm of people about Puja.Hong Kong Market and City Center are crowded by people.In the evening, I have to push my way through the crowd to reach the auto stand.Labourers are in hurry to give the finishing touch before Puja deadline.

A pandal is basically a temporary arrangement for the keeping the idol of Durga and other dieties.It is generally built from cloth and bamboo sticks.It has become a custom among the residents of Bengal to decorate the interior and exterior of the pandals for Durga Puja celebration.It looks something like the picture given below.However, the shape and structure of pandals vary from each other because the concept is to use one's creativity to built a pandal.

A Pandal

Sometimes I'm surprised to see the creativity of the people here.They decorate pandals with incomprehensible objects.Once I visited a pandal which was made of sketch pens ! Where do you get these many sketch pens of same color ? Wow !The complete interior of the pandal was embedded with pens in a such manner that it was hard to decipher the existence of symmetry.

Important Dates of Puja -

8th October,2016- Saptami (The starting date of Pandal visits )
9th October,2016 - Asthami (Puja at it's full bloom )
10th October,2016- Nabmi (Last day to enjoy the wandering spirit of Durga Puja )

Last year (2015) I visited a pandal in Central Colony,Siliguri (close to NJP station) which was awarded the best pandal in Siliguri by Siliguri Puja Committe.

Entrance of Central Colony Pandal NJP

Firstly, my brother and I boarded an auto from Vardman Road towards NJP.They dropped us on the road leading to Central Colony.We walked for what it seemed to be 15 days(okay! we just walked for 150 yards) and reached a place from where we could see the outline of the pandal.Then the walk became a 'zombie walk.It appeared that there was no place to walk with an independent gait because we were heading with the crowd.

When we reached the entrance,we were halted by the security personnels by the means of a thick rope.I got a sudden feeling of being a goat in a herd.For minimizing crowd inside the pandal the security personnels allow small batches of people to enter the pandal while others wait for their turn to come.

When we entered, I was indeed dazed by the interiors.Everything was decorated with white wool.I saw a chandelier made out of wool.Unfortunately, the crowd did not allow me take a perfect picture of the chandelier.Yet , I could manage something.

Chandelier made of White Wool

These people applied laws of physics to create single ray of light which was displayed beside the chandelier.The purple and indigo hues were creating a dreamland atmosphere for entering the abode Goddess Durga. Thankfully, the pandal was cooled by air conditioner otherwise it would have been difficult to relish these sights.

Next we witnessed the beautiful idol of Goddess Durga with her companions.

It was a pleasing sight. I wished to stay longer but the crowd outside was waiting for their turn therefore we were not allowed to stand here for more than 2 seconds. I clasped my hands in prayer and asked blessings from Goddess Durga, the deity of woman power.Then we made our way towards the exit.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SILIGURI

PICTURES OF SILIGURI DURGA PUJA PANDALS

HONG KONG MARKET

ESCAPE TO THE NEARBY STREAM OF PANIGHATTA

ESSENCE OF RUMTEK MONASTERY

RESTUARANTS OF GANGTOK

WINE SHOPS OF GANGTOK

BANJHAKRI FALLS
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