Here are the Durga Puja pandals to hit in Chennai

With Durga Puja around the corner, celebrations are afoot in Chennai. We bring you a list of pandals you can visit

Kolkata biryani, basanti pulao (fragrant rice), chholar dal (chana lentil), fish fry, kobiraji (cutlets), kathi roll (kebab wrapped in flaky paratha), rosogolla, machh er kaliya (fish curry), Kashmiri alu r dom (steam cooked baby potatoes), mutton kosha (mutton curry) and pineapple chutney – these are only a handful of delectables that will be served at the Durga Puja celebrations across Chennai.

As the season of Ashwin (sixth month of the solar Bengali calendar) knocks on our doors, preparations for Durga Puja are in order. Although a microcosm of the grand spectacle that ensues in Kolkata, Bengali communities in Chennai come together to recreate the flurry and fervour of the festival that they grew up witnessing.  

Biplob Bhakta, president of The Bengal Association in T Nagar says, “I believe we are the oldest puja in Chennai. This is our 90th year and we believe in making the puja an inclusive one where locals and other communities can also participate.join us in our celebrations Keeping this in mind we have a team of craftsmen coming in from West Bengal’s Phulia who will display Bengal handicrafts at the venue.” Rituals will stick to tradition and will be performed by a priest from Kolkata. The idol has been sculpted by sculptor Kishori Mohan Pal.

Biplob adds, “We have also started publication of a Bengali literary magazine called Dakshiner Darpan (Mirror of the South) which is our third edition but this year we have made it a Puja edition. Bengal has always had a rich cultural and literary heritage. Keeping with that, this magazine will be a reservoir of poems and creations by us prabasi (Bengali living outside West Bengal) Bengalis.”

Soumya Guha Thakurta, ex secretary of The Bengal Association elaborates, “Since Durga Puja this year coincides with a long weekend, we have organised an elaborate bhog for all those who come for the puja – which is almost a 25% percent jump from the arrangements we usually have. That apart, singer Raghab Chatterjee will be performing on Navami.”

Sudip Mitra, president of South Madras Cultural Association (SMCA) is picky about the finer details. He points to a Durga idol at T Nagar’s Kumartuli (a traditional potters’ quarter in northern Kolkata) at Thakkar Bapa Vidyalaya and says, “I wanted this year’s idol to be like the sabeki (traditional) idol made by Bagbazar Sarbojanin in Kolkata.“The 13-feet tall idol towers over the Vidyalaya in T Nagar where other Durga and Kali idols are sculpted.  

At Dakshini Society Anna Nagar, celebrations have begun by giving back to Nature. Subir Shaw, secretary of the society says, “Since we complete 30 years next year, we decided to mark the occasion by planting 30 trees in Kancheepuram. Our idol will be in the mould of daaker saaj, (made up of rangta or silver foil) and silver sequins,” he says adding that the name is derived from daak meaning post, since these materials were imported from Germany when they were unavailable in India. “The idol has been sculpted by Kishori Mohan Pal. A Bengali priest from Bishnupur in West Bengal will be present to carry out puja rituals,” says Subir. Embellishing the celebrations are food stalls by Barbecue Nation, Lazeez Bytes, Calcutta Express among others. The puja is open to all. However, the DJ night on Navami (October 23) is a members exclusive event.