Mamata Banerjee announces a 10-day Durga Puja festival from 2017

From the stage on Red Road chief minister Mamata Banerjee has made a major announcement - from 2017, the Durga Puja festival in Bengal will be of 10-day duration. It will start from Mahalaya and conclude on Bijoya Dasami day.
She was the driving force behind the first edition of the Bishwa Bangla carnival that featured a total of 39 Durga Puja idols selected by her v government. Mamata Banerjee herself was on the dais as the procession filed past the huge dais set up on Red Road. She smiled and waved to the people accompanying the floats.
Along her on the dais were Sourav Ganguly, Trinamul MLA Vaishali Dalmiya and others.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 15 October 2016.

Encouraged by the response, Mamata Banerjee announced that (i) 10 is the number of days the Durga Puja revelry would stretch from next year (ii) 75 is the number of pujas that would join the pre-bhashan parade next year (this year it was just 39) (iii) 100,000+ would be the number of people who would witness the parade next year.
The chief minister’s call for a 10-day Puja celebration could create problems for schools because they usually remain open till Panchami and offices remain open till Sashthi. Obviously, school students and office-goers will have to bear the brunt of 10-day festivities and endure negotiating the traffic snarls that will be unleashed.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Red Road in Kokata to witness 55 Durga Puja procession enroute to immersion

Red Road in Kolkata had, till now, been the venue for holding gala parades on Republic Day and Independence Day. It has always been close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee's heart. She had held her second swearing-in ceremony here. And, now, the people of the city can watch processions of 55 big Durga Pujas as the idols are taken for immersion in the River Ganges. It will be the Bishwa Bangla carnival
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 13 October 2016.

The arrangements on Red Road and its adjacent areas will lead to all connecting roads being out of bound for traffic as 55 of the best Puja committees march towards Red Road for the gala show. Each puja can have four tableaux, including a miniature pandal where they hosted Ma Durga for the past few days.
Thee are clear indication of a total collapse of traffic on Friday. However, the extended holiday will that has been declared could come to their rescue.
The idea of holding this mega show under Biswa Banga branding is expected to be sold globally through internet next year to draw international tourists.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Taiwan struck by Typhoon Megi, third typhoon in two weeks

Terrorist alarm in Uran was the figment of a 12-year-old schoolgirl's imagination

Tourist season in Kaziranga National Park to start from October 1 instead of November 1


Moody is off mood – Na Buzz had fooled him again (satire)

Didi’s version of ABCD - cycle to work to bypass potholes (satire)

Goddess Durga and her kids wait for the annual bash (satire)


9300 people killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria during last year

MH17 flight shot down by rocket over Ukraine in 2014 was work of pro-Moscow rebels

Shooting in Burlington - gunman on the run after shooting dead four women in a shopping center


Mark Wahlberg talks about movie on Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

Adele creates a record - her latest album 25 has gone platinum in the US

Movie memorabilia go under the hammer - Batman's batpod fetches £312,000