UP pandals adorn social messages, 'Selfie with Ma Durga'

As Uttar Pradesh gears up for the Durga Pooja, the various pooja committees here have decided to celebrate the occasion with religious fervor coupled with social awareness messages.
Bondhu Mahal, a social organisation here has decided to make "Girl child education and Environment protection" as the theme of this year's Durga Pooja.
"The endeavour will include taking a written pledge from the visitors to keep the interest of the girl child as their priority. A copy of the written pledge will be sent to both Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Bondhu Mahal Puja President R G Pramanik said.

He said the frills of entertainment during the celebrations will go hand in hand with an issue which is more relevant today.
"As Maa Durga is a woman, we decided to highlight the issue of Educate Girl Child during the Puja.
"The theme is an effort to spread social awareness against illiteracy among girls. It is an irony that on one hand, we worship women as Maa Durga and, on other hand, we ill treat the girl child," he said.

The Puja secretary Himangshu Acharya said that huge crowd at the point of pandal comes across as the right venue for propagating a social cause.

"The pandal will also have posters on both the sides highlighting the cause. There will also be drawing and painting competitions centering around the theme," he said.
Another committee Cantonment Durga puja will also brand this year's puja as "selfie with Maa Durga" to encourage the youth.
The Cantonment Durga Puja committee member Bibhuti Ranjan Das said that the "selfie with Maa Durga" will be a great attraction for the youth.
A special platform has been made from where the devotees can take selfie with Maa Durga, he said.
Meerapur Barwari Durga Puja Committee of Allahabad celebrating its 40th year this Navratra, stands apart owing to its depiction of Goddess Durga as mother nature.

The committee is all set to make the pandal eco-friendly. The weapon and other decorative items are being prepared from hand-made recycled papers.
Durga Puja will start from tomorrow, with the 'visarjan' (immersion) taking place on October 23.