Abhijit Ray, Kolkata.A month before the start of the Durga Puja, the atmosphere of puja prevails in the state of West Bengal. The state government will take out processions across the state, including Kolkata, on Wednesday to thank UNESCO for granting Durga Puja of Bengal the status of UNESCO cultural heritage. Durga Puja is an annual festival celebrated in September or October, most notably in Kolkata, in West Bengal of India, but also in other parts of India and amongst the Bengali diasporas.Durga Puja is seen as the best instance of the public performance of religion and art, and as a thriving ground for collaborative artists and designers. The festival is characterized by large-scale installations and pavilions in urban areas, as well as by traditional Bengali drumming and veneration of the goddess. During the event, the divides of class, religion and ethnicities collapse as crowds of spectators walk around to admire the installations.The Chief Minister said that it is through this procession that the lid of the Bengali festival is going to fall. She said that all puja committees of Howrah, Bidhannagar and Rajarhat will join the colorful procession today in Kolkata procession.She kas invited everyone irrespective of caste, creed and party to participate in this procession. The Chief Minister told the reporters that the procession will start from Rabindranath Tagore’s birthplace Jorasanko and reach the Red Road after circumambulating the 7 wards of the city. A cultural program has been organized there. Apart from UNESCO representatives, dignitaries including members of various foreign embassies and business meetings have been invited there.Who will be in the procession: Along with the Chief Minister, representatives of UNESCO, representatives of all Durga Puja Committees of Kolkata, theme artists, idol artists, weather artists, students and various cultural artists will join the grand procession in Kolkata on Wednesday. Kolkata, India,and the world have not seen this procession around Durga Puja before. So tomorrow the world will see the festival of Bengal. Before that, know the details of the procession.Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will lead the procession. Eric Falt, UNESCO Representative to India, and Tim Curtis, Editor of UNESCO’s 2003 Conference on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage, will be present. No political party, only puja organizers will participate in this procession. So the puja entrepreneurs of Howrah and Salt Lake near Kolkata will be in the procession.
To thank UNESCO: grand procession will take place at Kolkata led by CM West Bengal
