Ghaziabad Durga Puja pandals feature Uttam Kumar and Bengal heritage

Uttam Kumar’s smile will greet visitors at Central Park in Indirapuram, where the Shipra Suncity Bongotoru Durga Puja is marking the Bengali film star’s birth centenary.

The pandal features stills from *Saptapadi*, *Harano Sur*, *Indrani* and *Nayak*, bringing the actor’s screen legacy into a festival setting. Uttam Kumar was one of Bengali cinema’s best-known stars from the 1950s to the 1980s. “The centenary provides an opportunity to revisit that legacy while introducing it to audiences in the north,” said Avinash Chakraborty, general secretary of Bongotoru.

Women lead Sahibabad rituals

At Band Baja Barat banquet hall in Shalimar Garden, Sahibabad, Ananya Nari Durgotsav will be run by the Shalimar Garden Mahila Sewa Samiti. Women will recite slokas, perform Chandipath, hold the dhunuchi and play the dhak.

The fifth edition is organised around five attributes: strength, togetherness, safety, heritage, and femininity and fertility. Its president, Papri Chakroborty, said the puja is dedicated to women “whose story deserves to be heard”. Male members will operate stalls and prepare snacks and items for sale.

A Himalayan temple and three Bengal villages

Crossings Republik’s 16th Durga Puja takes its visual cue from Badrinath temple. The township has more than 300 Bengali residents, said Deepankar Chakraborty of the Crossings Republik Bengali Cultural Association. Its evening programme includes instrumental tributes to RD and SD Burman, performances by singers associated with *Sa Re Ga Ma Pa* and *Indian Idol*, and dance dramas.

Prantic Cultural Society in Indirapuram is recreating Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur, the three historic villages associated with Kolkata’s origins. Old photographs form part of the installation, made from bamboo and jute. Infrastructure secretary Akshay Bose said the materials are biodegradable.

At Ramprasth Greens in Vaishali, organisers are opting for a modest idol and stage rather than an elaborate theme. Raj Nagar Extension Puja Evam Sanskritik Trust, in its seventh year, will host a magic show by Middya Junior.

Prayasi Puja Committee in Indirapuram is holding its 20th Durga Puja and plans to serve bhog on every day of the festival.