Jhargram, Oct. 16 -- For the first time, women in Laljal village of Belpahari have taken charge of organising Durga Puja, ushering in a new chapter in a community where faith and tradition run deep.
Amid the forested hills of Jhargram, nearly 70 km from the town, the women are preparing cultural programmes and roasting khoi by hand for the goddess, bringing a fresh spirit of participation to a village whose history is believed to stretch back thousands of years.
The celebrations are unfolding against the backdrop of Laljal's ancient caves, believed to have sheltered prehistoric humans. Here, archaeological traces and local folklore coexist, giving the remote village a distinctive identity where the mysteries of the past remain closely bou...