As a child, Sufal Das used to dream of becoming a dhaki. But a life full of adversities, and dwindling popularity of the dhak, has made him regret his dream.
The nine-day festival begins this year on October 3. Each day is devoted to one of Ma Durga's nine avatars -- Goddess Shailputri, Goddess Brahmacharini, Goddess Chandraghanta, Goddess Kushmanda, Goddess Skandamata, Goddess Katyayani, Goddess Kalaratri, Goddess Mahagauri and Goddess Siddhidatri.
Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee worshipped Goddess Durga on Thursday at his ancestral home in Mirati village on 'Mahasaptami', the first day of the four-day long puja.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress party, alleging that the dropping of important stanzas from the national song 'Vande Mataram' in 1937 sowed the seeds of partition. He made these remarks during the inauguration of the year-long commemoration of 'Vande Mataram'.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee accuses the BJP of being 'Bangla-Birodhi' (anti-Bengal) and alleges they want to send Bengalis to detention camps. He vowed to electorally wipe out the BJP in the 2026 Bengal Assembly polls.
Thank you, Dear Readers, for sharing your Navratri celebrations with us.
'Modi's charisma may have weakened as last year's Lok Sabha poll results showed but in the eyes of the Sangh Parivar, it has not waned.' 'Minus a strong BJP government at the Centre for another decade and more, there is apprehension that an anti-Hindutva government could reverse many of the ideological gains that the Modi dispensation has achieved through its three terms,' points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Sushila Karki pursued her post-graduation from the Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi.
An encyclopedia to the best Durga Pujo eating.
Ma Durga might be the city's most celebrated annual visitor, but Kali is the resident Goddess, notes Sandip Roy.
It is time to welcome back Ma Durga, who is on her annual five-day visit to her father Himalaya's home, with her sons Ganesh and Kartik and daughters Saraswati and Lakshmi.
Mahalaya, though essentially about the goddess, wasn't religious for us. And it isn't for most Bengalis. Mahalaya is an emotion. It's gooseflesh for a memory. A welling up of happy tears. A celebration of what is to come.
Kolkata has turned into the proverbial City of Blinding Lights for Durga Pujo
There's a lot more to the festival than just five days of celebration; that is something you can only experience when you live in Kolkata. And that's what every Bengali living outside the state misses, notes Chitrangada Datta Chaudhuri.
Tarun Vijay visits 20 Durga Puja pandals in five towns in Bangladesh and comes back impressed.
'Put on that goddamn dress, pick up your crown, and strut like the queen you are'.
The sound of the dhak is an essential part of Pujo celebrations, says Indrayanee Mukherjee.
Vidya Balan paid tribute to legendary singer M S Subbulakshmi on her 108th birth anniversary by recreating some of her iconic looks.
'Justice may or may not happen, but who are those people who did this to her?' 'If the hospital authorities had helped us that day, or the police, then the real culprits would have been caught.' 'Getting justice for my daughter is my goal now and I want the CM to remember that.'
Kolkata has, yet again, outdone itself when it comes to establishment-defying social commentary through Puja pandals.
Bringing Indian festivals home for the second generation
'I had an incredible time pandal hopping in CR Park Delhi, participating in the cultural festivities and of course, tasting some amazing Pujo food!'
Celebrating Mother's Day by remembering a variety of such movie maatajis and her impassioned assertions.
Locals in Congress party's pocket borough Rae Bareli, including Congress members, may be fond of Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul but feel it is Priyanka Vadra who has the mettle and charisma of her late grandmother Indira Gandhi and is more capable of bringing about a sea change in the country's politics.
Locals in Congress party's pocket borough Rae Bareli, including Congress members, may be fond of Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul but feel it is Priyanka Vadra who has the mettle and charisma of her late grandmother Indira Gandhi and is more capable of bringing about a sea change in the country's politics.
With two more bodies fished out of the Hooghly river, the toll in the trawler capsize mishap rose to 83 on Thursday.Meanwhile, fishermen spotted a piece of wood floating in the middle of the river on Wednesday evening near Chakfuldubi village bearing the trawler's name 'Ma Durga'. They pulled it to Majarchar village and informed the authorities. The police on Thursday morning reached the spot with a launch and divers to determine if it was indeed the elusive trawler.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday flew a sortie in a Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) after a fleet of the highly agile choppers was inducted into the Indian Air Force.
Towering effigies of 10-headed demon king Ravana, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran crackled in fiery splendour marking the triumph of good over evil as gusto and fervour marked Dussehra festivities across the country.
From the dusty lanes of Mirati, life took the scholar politician to the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan through a warren of powerful offices he held, but the village stuck, the bond only grew stronger.
'He has divine power... For our future, safety is in the hands of Modi.'
Manjoori Ganguly recalls her first Durga Puja celebration in Sweden.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favorite 2023 films -- a healthy blend of Bollywood, Hindi indies and some of the best work that is being done in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali cinema.
After losing two festive seasons to Covid-led restrictions, 2022 is seeing an uninhibited celebration of festivals. This is pushing up discretionary spend, which is attracting advertisers and brands, who are ready to capitalise on the momentum. The festive season has begun with Onam and Ganesh Chathurthi held earlier this month in Kerala and Maharashtra, respectively.
Here's a look at the top 10 tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
The charm of Kolkata is still alive says Sumit Ganguli.
'The local administration is working overtime to improve voter turnout and take it beyond the 50% to 60% mark. This is evident from the massive advertising being done to propagate the same. Not a single government building is left standing without it being plastered with the Election Commission's posters and banners.'
'Goddess Laxmi doesn't come just by praying to her.' 'You have to make yourself attractive to Laxmi for her to come to you.'
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