Finally, Rani makes an appearance!
From drone-lit skies and gemstone rangolis to fragrance journeys and theatrical thalis, India's new-age festive events blend heritage with high-tech spectacle to create memories that feel both intimate and unforgettable.
Ahead of the upcoming Durga Puja festival, Bangladesh authorities have assured of increased security measures that have been put in place amid concerns of violence targeting minority Hindu communities.
'For all you know, in the next five years there could be a path-breaking cancer treatment and I may be absolutely fine. Or maybe I won't be. I have to live with both scenarios.'
Be prepared to bump into some special people at the pandal.
A comfortable temperature and a clear sky added to the joy of the festival of autumn, Durga Puja in Guwahati and other parts of Assam especially urban areas where hundreds of colourfully decorated and illuminated pandals are waiting to welcome the puja crowd over the next four days.
Take a look at the pictures!
Devotees all over the world will now be able to watch the unique Durga Puja of Belur Math, where a young girl is worshipped along with the goddess, as the Ramakrishna Mission has decided to stream it live on Internet.
The state that is soaked in the puja fervour, is all set to welcome Maa Durga on October 20.
The dizzying inflation has failed to dampen the spirit of the Durga Puja festivities in Assam. In capital Guwahati, puja organisers have outdone themselves and their efforts are visible in the opulent and colourful puja pandals across the city.
Of the Rs 474.4 crore insurance cover, the largest component -- Rs 375 crore -- has been allocated towards personal accident cover for volunteers.
The actress was spotted at various events in the city, escorted by husband Abhishek and parents-in-law Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan.
All the 450 plus puja celebration committees in Guwahati city have been asked by the police to install close circuit television cameras to monitor and videograph crowd moverment in and around the puja pandals.
Lakhan Singh and his neighbor Mithlesh Rai, both in their mid 50s, are cursing the floods in Bihar that has made them forgo Durga Puja celebrations in their village. They are two of hundreds of thousands of villagers in Bihar's Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Madhubani and Samastipur districts, which have been badly hit by floods.
The five-day Durga Puja festival in West Bengal ended on Wednesday with people celebrating Bijaya Dashami which marked Goddess Durga's return to her husband's home.
Far from the rough and tumble of politics, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is in Kolkata at his ancestral home at Miriti in Birbhum district to perform Durga Puja as he has been doing every year.
"I extend puja greetings (Saradiyar Subhecchha) to all people and wish them well," a relaxed Mukherjee said while leaving for his ancestral home with his wife.
The Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, an NGO in the heart of Kolkata's red light district, has decided to celebrate Durga Puja, reports Indrani Roy/Rediff.com.Speaking to Indrani Roy/Rediff.com, the sex workers say that they want to get rid of ostracisation and be allowed to celebrate Durga Puja just as others do.
Kolkata may host the most lavish Durga puja pandals in the country complete with elaborate decoration and dazzling illumination, but in Cuttack the puja is popular for the extravagance in style reflected in gold and silver work.
The actress is making most of the festive season.
The MEA has taken strong exception to the two reported incidents in Bangladesh.
Taking corporatisation of Durga Puja festival to a new height, a prominent puja committee in Kolkata has sold the rights of the celebrations to a US company and roped in a Bollywood superstar as its brand ambassador.
Security has been beefed up in Mirati village of Birbhum district in view of President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to his ancestral house during the Durga puja rituals, official sources said on Friday.
Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal resumed their indefinite 'total cease work' on Tuesday to press for various demands, including ensuring their safety and security at all medical establishments.
'Perhaps the greatest curse that modern technology has inflicted on the people during the pujas is powerful public address systems that blare out songs which you have no option but to listen to,' says Subir Roy.
While the Prime Minister did not spell out the details of the three instances, his remarks are being widely interpreted as a reference to the 2016 surgical strikes following the Uri terror attack, the 2019 Balakot air strikes after the Pulwama bombing, and the recent cross-border strikes as part of 'Operation Sindoor'.
Rani Mukerji attends the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti's Kali Puja with her family and friends.
'Durga Puja is also a time to catch up on the gossip and when the girls of the family get together it's a beautiful feeling that is hard to describe.'
The Bengalis have their own special variety of spicy-sweet tomato chutney usually had at the end of a meal.
Banerjee said she will protect the minority people and their property.
India has expressed serious concern over the increasing incidents of violence and extremist rhetoric against minorities in Bangladesh, urging the interim government to fulfill its responsibility of protecting all minorities. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that India has consistently raised the issue of threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities with the Bangladeshi government. Jaiswal emphasized that these developments cannot be dismissed as mere media exaggeration and called upon Bangladesh to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of minorities.
The sound of the dhak is an essential part of Pujo celebrations, says Indrayanee Mukherjee.
Private buses and taxis in West Bengal may go off the roads after the Durga Puja if fares are not increased, even as operators are pinning their hopes on an assurance by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to look into the issue after Lakshmi Puja.
We bring you traditional Bengali preparations to help celebrate Durga Puja.
Kajol and Rani Mukerji looked beautiful in shades of red, as they indulged in the Bengali ritual of Sindoor Khela at the North Bombay Sarbojanin's Durga puja pandal in Mumbai.
Ma Durga might be the city's most celebrated annual visitor, but Kali is the resident Goddess, notes Sandip Roy.
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