Exemplary puja at Temple Street in Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 17: It is unbelievable but true that a community puja is going on for twelve years without accepting any subscription from unwilling residents. The organisers of the Temple Street Durga Puja near Sagar Dighi in Cooch Behar are performing the community puja with donations from the members and well-wishers only. It started in 1996 and still the show goes on.

 

On behalf of Temple Street Durga Puja Committee Mr Snehashis Ghosh said that their ultimate aim was to make a situation so that the residents of the locality can enjoy the festival without any fear of coercion over subscription. They never want to make the festival a bitter one to anybody over coercing or forcible collection of subscription. The members of the puja committee donate the needed amount to meet the expenditure of the puja, he said. At the same time he said that there was no restriction in extending of assistance to the puja if it is made voluntarily.

 

The Temple Street's puja is not a big budget one compared with other community pujas in the town. It is filled with energy, enthusiasm and joy. Publication of a souvenir named "Sharad Barta" is also became a part of the festival for ten years. The souvenir of Temple Street's puja is considered as a piece of good publication rich with literary works, Mr Ghosh claimed.

 

The budget of this year's puja is about Rs 45,000. About thirty local youths took the first initiative to perform the puja in 1996 and still it is going on in full swing. Thirty to thirty-five members donate freely to perform the puja. There are some others too who donate according to their will. The members, may be at outside for various reasons during the year, feel the festival's call in their heart and come back to town before the puja to participate in the festival. No resident of the locality is spared from taking the Prasad on the Mahashtami.

 

The organisers are hopeful that the puja of Temple Street will go on for years to come maintaining the "no forcible subscription" policy. Subscription should not be a barrier to enjoy the festive moments, they believe. []