Para to fete voice behind Mahalaya mornings
Times of India | 16 September 2025The organisers will inaugurate the puja on Mahalaya itself, after Bhadra's ‘Mahisasurmardini' rendition is played in the early morning.
The pandal is being prepared in front of Biren Mancha, which KMC installed in his memory. Bhadra's grandson Somit Shome said, "It's such wonderful news that they chose this theme. I am missing my mother; if she were alive, she would be very happy."
The puja on Balaram Ghosh Street is celebrating its 94th year.
Subhashish Chakraborty, joint secretary, said, "In recent years, the younger generation has been inclined towards the theme-puja concept. When we started planning, the first thing that came to our mind was the person in our locality who made us proud with his voice that blends with Durga Puja. Bhadra is still alive through his voice in ‘Mahisasurmardini', and now, people will know his locality and can feel his presence through this presentation.
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The theme, ‘Shudhui Bhadrakatha', aims to bring back the lost spirit of Durga Puja from a time when rituals, devotion, and the overall four-day festival strengthened the bond of a neighbourhood — something that has been fading. The entire neighbourhood has been painted to become part of the theme. Theme maker Shambhu Saha said, "This time, we wish not just for external celebrations, but for a heartfelt invocation of Durga Puja through our theme.
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Akashwani Bhawan, where the first recording of Mahisasurmardini was broadcast in 1931 and continues to this day, is a major part of this theme.
Susmita Roychoudhuri, a local, said, "I have been staying here for 12 years, and I still feel goosebumps when I pass by Bhadra's residence. It's our responsibility to pass our culture on to the younger generation."
Lali Choudhuri, an elderly resident, said, "This year, the theme is refreshing my memories.
The Kali temple near the pandal, where Bhadra went for the puja, reminds me of him."
Badal Dutta, another elderly resident, said, "I am thrilled as I have been witnessing an entire para return to a time 50 years ago — Durga Puja starting from Mahalaya, listening to the radio, enjoying the pandal being set up, and going to Kumartuli to see idols being prepared. All these memories are being refreshed after seeing the entire theme taking shape slowly."
