During the upcoming Durga Puja in Kolkata, a group of women plan to break into a male bastion and make history. All of the rites at the five-day event at 66 Pally will be overseen by the group, lead by priestess Nandini Bhowmick and her companions – Ruma, Semanti, and Paulami.
The popular South Kolkata puja committee is preparing to set an example in the lengthy history of the city's yearly event with the message, "Maa Durga will be invoked by mothers."
The organisers have opted to shatter gender injustice and promote women empowerment in the genuine spirit of the festival, in a city where theme-based pujas pandals are all the rage.
In the metropolis, it is not uncommon for a woman to fight for her place to become a priest. ‘Brahma Janen Gopon Kommoti,' a Bengali film released in 2020, depicted a priestess who aspired to reform society's traditional way of thinking.
However, this is not the first time the puja committee has proposed a novel idea. 66 Pally has long been known among pandal-hoppers for its unique themes. Even the pandemic last year didn't dampen their enthusiasm. They recreated the ‘Apu Trilogy’ for the major festival to commemorate the centennial of acclaimed filmmaker Satyajit Ray's birth.
Pradyumna Mukherjee, one of the officials of the committee, shared about their special theme of worshipping the goddess by mothers. “There are four priestesses who are in-charge of puja this year. The festival will be conducted following all the traditional rituals. The main purpose of this puja is to bridge the gender gap. Maa Durga is worshipped by everyone, so why should there be any gender inequality in it”.
As the city prepares for the much-anticipated autumn festival to combat the pandemic's ravages, organisers are hoping for a unique attraction this year.