Maha Saptami: Thousands out on roads to enjoy Puja festival

Thousands of revellersflocked the streets since morning as spectacle and joviality marked MahaSaptami, the first day of the Durga Puja celebrations across West Bengal on Saturday.

A sultry morning gave way to dark clouds and one or two showers as the day progressed, but the rains couldn't stop the people from making the most of the state's biggest festival.

Thousands of people from all walks of life poured into the streets and queued in front of puja pandals to view the idols, imaginative decorations and illuminations showcasing themes from Balakot airstrike to refugees and migration, from history of newspaper to the fire at Amazon rainforest to message on communal harmony.

The city is abuzz with the festive spirit and people from different parts of the country and abroad had come down to taste the cultural and religious gala.

During her four-day sojourn to her maternal abode, Goddess Durga and her four children are being worshipped.

The first day of Durga Puja - MahaSaptami- started with the bathing of a banana plant in a water body. The plant is treated like a bride, wrapped in a new sari and placed next to the idol of Lord Ganesh, son of Goddess Durga. The ritual is called 'Nabapatrika snan-o-sthapan' and many believe this practice is traced to the agrarian society of eastern India.

After the morning rituals, worshippers offered 'Pushpanjali' (floral offering) to the goddess amid chanting of mantras.

Some popular puja witnessed long queues in front of marquees as people waited patiently to view the intricate artworks and lighting in and around the pandals.

A large number of big ticket community pujas opened their doors to viewers a few days earlier with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurating several of these.

People making a beeline to these pandals for the last few days has caused huge traffic snarls across the city.

Durga Puja, which acts as a catalyst for bringing together people from all sections, is also made the most of by political leaders and parties. Several heavyweight TMC leaders and ministers are chief patrons of some of the popular Pujas in town.

Several political parties including CPI(M), TMC and BJP have set up book stalls outside a number of puja pandals to propagate about their policies and ideologies.

The Met department has forecast thunderstorms at one or two places in the state on Mahasaptami on Saturday.

The weather god may also play spoilsport on Mahashtami on Sunday with thunderstorms having been forecast at one or two places in South Bengal, including Kolkata, the Met said.

The weatherman has, however, forecast heavy rain at one or two places in Gangetic West Bengal on Vijaya Dashami on Tuesday, the day when Goddess Durga goes back to Kailash with her progeny Kartick, Ganesh, Saraswati and Lakshmi.