Kolkata, Sept. 17 -- For the first time, Allen Park on Park Street, long associated with Kolkata's Christmas celebrations, will host a Durga Puja, adding a new destination to the city's major Puja-hopping circuit.
Kolkata Sanatani Sangha, with BJP leader Sanku Deb Panda among its key organisers, will showcase a theme based on the mythological story of Shiv Tandav and the relationship between Lord Shiva and Parvati.
The bhumi Puja has already been performed. Panda said the pandal will also depict the marriage of Shiva and Parvati and would seek to challenge Kolkata's established big-ticket pujas.
Several programmes will be held at Allen Park from Mahalaya, with Bollywood film stars expected to perform at the pandal.
On Ashtami, priests from Varanasi will conduct the anjali with hymns. The Puja also comes amid Panda's recent public exchanges with organisers of the high-profile Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja in Bowbazar. Panda has criticised the prominent puja, drawing comparisons over the scale and traditional stature of central Kolkata's high-budget community celebrations.
The Allen Park Puja is expected to bring a new dimension to Park Street's festive calendar, extending the area's association with major public celebrations beyond Christmas.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.