Kolkata, Sept. 2 -- Before the first great drumbeats of Puja begin to reverberate across Kolkata, the BJP government is preparing its own grand curtain-raiser - 'Uma Agomoni', a spectacle to herald Uma's return to earth on Mahalaya and put Bengal's Durga Puja firmly in the global spotlight.
The state government plans to stage the mega cultural extravaganza at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on October 10, the day of Mahalaya. The show will bring together Bengal's dhakis, folk dancers and performers from different districts, with traditional forms such as Chhau and dhunuchi nritya (dance) set to share the stage.
The larger ambition goes beyond a one-day spectacle. The government wants to showcase Bengal's Durga Puja to the world, building on its inscription in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.
The event is also being positioned as a major tourism push, with the government hoping to draw significantly more visitors to Kolkata during the Puja. To add political and ceremonial heft to the occasion, sources said plans are on to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, speaking to the media in South Dinajpur's Balurghat on Wednesday, said the government had plans for a major Mahalaya event and indicated that both Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah would be invited. "A big event will be organised on the day of Mahalaya. PM and HM will certainly be invited. We will inform only after confirmations come from their ends," Adhikari said.
Preparations have already begun, sources said, with the Information and Culture Department inviting tenders for the work required to stage the programme. If all goes according to plan, Eden Gardens will host the mega event on October 10.
The spectacle will also mark the BJP government's first Durga Puja in Bengal since coming to power. Sources said the government intends to use Mahalaya as the launch pad for taking Bengal's Puja to the international arena.
The move comes against the backdrop of the Trinamool Congress government's Durga Puja carnival, which Mamata Banerjee's government introduced on Red Road in 2016.
The carnival soon became an annual show, attended by the former chief minister. BJP leaders, however, had alleged that the event was misused by Trinamool ministers and leaders, who they claimed bagged all the prizes instituted by the state government.
Adhikari had, before coming to power, promised to raise the scale of Durga Puja celebrations if the BJP formed the government. A few months after becoming chief minister, he reiterated that pledge, saying: "Puja will be celebrated in greater numbers."
According to Nabanna sources, the cultural pageant will travel through the history of Durga Puja in Bengal, depicting the arrival of the goddess and the rich folk traditions of different districts. Dhak, dhunuchi dance, Chhau and other traditional art forms will feature prominently, with a large number of artists from across the state expected to take part.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.