Kolkata, Sept. 10 -- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari offered puja at Kalighat temple on Thursday evening on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya and prayed for the well-being of the people of Bengal. He also consumed of the special bhog offered to Goddess Kali, which included fish among
other items.
Earlier, he told the Assembly that the state had made arrangements for the festival at Tarapith in Birbhum, where a record turnout of devotees is expected.
For the first time at the pilgrimage site, helicopters showered flower petals over devotees, echoing the aerial flower showers seen during the Shravani Mela at Tarakeswar.
Tarapith and its adjoining areas have been illuminated and upgraded to manage the large influx of pilgrims. Adhikari said the festival would showcase Bengal's heritage, tradition, culture and faith, and thanked the district administration and various departments for preparations. He had earlier visited Tarapith to review crowd management, security and pilgrim facilities.
The daily Sandhya Aarti on the banks of the Dwarka River has also resumed after a gap of nearly 10 months.
The government has sanctioned an additional Rs 5 crore for Tarapith's development. Plans are also being considered for affordable tourist lodges to protect devotees from excessive hotel charges and room-blocking practices during the festival.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.