Big Durga Puja clubs get into Saraswati Puja big time as budgets rise 10 fold
Times of India | 29 January 2025
12 Kolkata: Several big-ticket Durga Puja clubs have started adding a dash of grandeur to the usually quiet Saraswati Puja celebrations. Their budgets have risen 10 times in the last 10 years, and many have introduced cultural events for which lakhs are being spent.
A Durga Puja organiser in north Kolkata will kick off its centenary celebrations in a unique musical way by celebrating Saraswati Puja with sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan playing at the feet of a 22-foot-tall idol on Feb 1. A day earlier, another musical stalwart, flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, will mesmerise the audience at the same venue — Tala Prattoy ground — at an event titled ‘Music in a Park' being organised by Tala Prattoy. Saraswati Puja will be celebrated on Feb 3.
While Khan will be accompanied on tabla by Pandit Swapan Chaudhury, Chaurasia will have Pandit Kumar Bose on the tabla. The Saraswati idol has been designed by Parimal Pal and will be the backdrop of this unique musical tribute.
"It will not only be a unique and memorable musical event but also deliver a strong message of unity and harmony," said Dhrubajyoti Bose, mentor of Tala Prattoy.
Bhawanipore 75 Pally, for instance, has added multiple cultural events for children and women of the neighbourhood. "Durga Puja is extremely hectic for us, while Saraswati Puja is more relaxed and allows us to participate. But our budget has shot up at least 10 times, and the scale of celebrations is getting bigger each year," said Subir Das of Bhawanipore 75 Pally.
Shibmandir Sarbojanin has introduced a cultural event for students of a school for underprivileged children that it runs. The puja is held at the school. "It's getting bigger each year. It has become much more than a school event now, and soon it could be shifted to a bigger venue," said Partha Ghosh of the club.
"It has been the local version of Valentine's Day for many years, but the high-octane celebration culture is fast catching up with it. Events like these could well inspire others to follow, and Saraswati Puja could well turn into a multi-day festival soon," said the president of a high-profile Durga puja in south Kolkata.
Das predicted that Saraswati Puja will soon be comparable to Kali Puja in terms of spending and cultural events. "It's getting closer very fast," he said.