Representatives of nine religions - Buddhism, Baha'ism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and Sikhism - took part in an interdenominational prayer meeting at Rajghat.
With devotional songs like "Raghupati raghav raja ram" and "Vaishnav jana to" playing in the background, several Gandhians and others joined the schoolchildren in paying tributes to Gandhi.
Among other visitors were Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath.
A minute's silence was observed at the black stone memorial with 'Hey Ram' inscribed on it by all the leaders. Several other leaders are expected to visit the memorial throughout the day.
Crowds, including a number of kids from slums and shelter homes, thronged the Gandhi memorial and some of them sang devotional songs and showered flowers at the memorial.
"I've come here for the first time and I was very excited to perform on Gandhiji's birthday before the leaders of our nations. I will cherish this opportunity forever," said Anoop, a 13-year-old from Salaam Balak Trust, a shelter in north Delhi.
Hundreds of people queued up in front of Rajghat since early Sunday to pay their homage.
"Even years after his death, the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi have acquired greater importance. From educational institutes to the film industry, everyone is drawing inspiration from him," said Sanjeev Gupta, a government employee.
Many people came to Rajghat after being inspired by civil society leader Anna Hazare's peaceful protest against stringent anti-corruption law in the country in August this year.
"I used to think that Gandhian principles were all about preaching and it is impossible to use them in real life, but I was totally impressed by Anna Hazare's movement. He showed the world how principles of peace and non-violence are so relevant event today," said Shekhar Singh, a college student.
Several organisations in the national capital like Gandhi Smriti and Gandhi Museum have organised special exhibitions on Gandhi to create awareness among youngsters about his teachings and his role in helping India gain Independence.
The birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti across the country. It is also marked as the International Day of Non-Violence.
Gandhi, born this day in 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat, played a key role in India's independence struggle. He was assassinated Jan 30, 1948.
Banking on the puja shopping spree, many companies - be it Cola majors or consumer electronic giants - have come up with new products and innovative marketing plans to woo consumers.
Thums Up, a leading Cola brand in India, is big on Durga Puja. The brand has introduced a new TV commercial for West Bengal with a heavy GRP (gross rating point) plan across leading Bengali channels for a period of three weeks.
The company said for on-ground advertisement, it has tied up with 150 community pujas in the state, including over 100 in the city. Street banners have been put up on roads leading to the canopies and there will be retail outlets to sell the chilled cola. In total, there will be 23,000 outlets.
Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony has introduced innovative consumer promotions across categories, including TV, Cyber-shot, Handycam and Home Theatre System in this festive season.
The company will provide a digital photo frame, clock radio or pen drive on purchases of LCD/LED TV. It has targeted a sale of Rs.2,000 crore this festive season (September-October) in the country which accounts for 35 percent growth over corresponding period last year. The company is investing Rs.100 crore in promotions during this time which will include television and print commercials, cinema and shop front.
Mobile service provider MTS Kolkata-West Bengal circle has rolled out a unique virtual Puja campaign, christened 'Sarbojonin Durgotshob'. The company claimed that this campaign is a first of its kind initiative that explores the virtual space at a whole new level.
The company in India has over 13 million wireless subscribers and under the MBlaze brand it provides mobile broadband services to more than 1,000,000 customers in over 200 cities across the country.
In the virtual campaign, the entire look and feel of the puja ambience has been recreated online on a webpage - www.mtspujo.com, complete with an online 3-D thematic canopy and a walk through to it with the virtual replica of the six gods and goddesses, their five vahanas and Mahish Asura. The website is being popularised through Facebook.
It said even the puja rituals will be conducted online.
Keshhav Tiwary, chief operating officer, Kolkata and West Bengal circle, MTS India, said, "The basic objective of the campaign is to integrate the Bengali community living in India or abroad on the occasion of their biggest festival, Durga Puja. It will provide them with an online platform where they can interact with each other and share their puja experiences, upload photos and videos.
"So Bengalis, be it in Maddox Square (a popular marquee and meeting place in South Kolkata during the festival days) or Manhattan (in New York) will get to experience the best of both worlds," he added.
Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications company, has announced 3G services in Siliguri and Malda in West Bengal just before puja. The company had earlier rolled out the service in Kolkata, Durgapur, Asansol, Burdawan, Chittaranjan, Kulti and Raniganj.
Camera maker Nikon has also intensified its advertising and marketing plans before Durga Puja.
"A new TV advertisement has recently been started. Print media campaign has been intensified along with Radio. We have taken an all-round approach to promote our products during the puja," Nikon India general manager (Imaging) Sajjan Kumar told IANS.
The company is targeting to double its sales volume this festive season through an increased presence. The festive season contributes 30 percent of the company's total sales during a year.
Kolkata, October 02, 2011
Last Updated: 16:49 IST(2/10/2011)
During the pujas, I get a chance to meet them and interact with them," he said. The 117-year old puja, marked by its traditionality sans pomp, was started by Mukherjee's grandfather Jangaleswar Mukherjee. Mukherjee's MLA son Abhijit, who also plays an active part in the festivities, looks after the arrangements during the occasion. The Union minister arrived here from Delhi last evening and is likely to return to the national capital after the pujas.
By Soumabha Nandi | Place: Pune | Agency: DNA
Both Bengalis and non-Bengalis of Pune came in droves to join the festivities at the Congress Bhavan in Shivajinagar for Mahapanchami, the first day of the Durga Puja, the Bengali festival where goddess Durga is worshipped with pomp and devotion.
Since the past 72 years, Durga Puja is celebrated by the Bengali association Bangiya Sanskruti Samsad in the city.
"The initial venue for the puja was near Rahul Theatre and then near Modern College. Since last 28 years, the puja is celebrated in Congress Bhavan," Samsad general secretary Rajesh Burman told DNA.
The celebrations formally started with 'murthi pratisthan' and 'devi bodhon', a ritual to propitiate and welcome goddess Durga and her four children, at 7 pm on Saturday, While the idols of the goddess were a huge attraction, so was the craftsmanship of the numerous marquees under which they were housed.
"Though in West Bengal, the festival is celebrated on a much larger scale, for people like us who stay here for professional purpose, this puja provides a common platform for people cutting across religious lines to immerse themselves in cultural activities," said Abhidipto Som, a Wipro employee who visited the pandal with his friends.
The atmosphere in Congress Bhavan was energetic with Bengali songs playing in the air and the stalls of Bengali cuisines available in plenty.
"Today we have organised a quiz contest, Rabindra Sangeet by Kolkata artist Maya Chaterjee and Anandamela (Bengali food festival). Similar programmes will follow in the next five days," Burman said.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_goddess-durga-arrives-in-pune_1594246
Dig into the best of Bengali culinary delights this festive season
KOLKATA: How can Durga puja celebrations be complete without some pet puja? The city's top hotels are putting their best ladle forward to serve a mouth-watering platter this festive season. Gastronomes can look forward to sumptuous culinary offerings from the finest kitchens of Kolkata. The five star properties across the city are pulling out all stops to pamper your taste buds with some of the best and authentic Bangali khabar.
'From opar Bangla to epar Bangla' is the theme underlying HHI's Kalash. Culinary delights from across Bangladesh are making way to the HHI kitchen. "The Bangla bites will get a touch of authenticity with Chef Norbert D'Costa ofDhaka's Hotel Sarina being flown in," said Esha Roy of HHI. Take your pick from a wide array of appetizers: dudh juruni sherbet, spicy chicken, cahsew nut sala and chingri bharta. Dig into Rupchand tomato masala, dhakai morog pulao or chital macher muithya or relish ilish paturi with kumro pata, dhakai kacchi biriyani and mutton tehari.
But if green is the colour at your dinner table, you can sample the vegetarian fare offered. The vegetarian platter with bokulphool bhaja, phoolcopi'r paturi, kachkolar dum and bhuna khichuri too tickle the tastebuds. You could end your journey on a sweet note. The mouth-watering never ending list concludes with pati sapta, baked mihidana with rabri, aatar chaanar payesh. The scrumptious euphoria becomes complete with abracadabra by magician Prince Sil and live ghazals by Ujjwal. The Bangladeshi cuisine which making your taste buds lust for more is priced at Rs 1,249 excluding taxes.
The joyous bonhomie of the festival continues with ITC Sonar paying tribute to Kolkata, the gourmet capital of eastern India," said Madhumita Pyne of ITC Sonar. At Eden Pavilion, savour the true tastes of Kolkata in an extensive buffet. The food on offer here ranges from the city's street food like kathi rolls and mughlai parathas to Anglo Indian dishes like prawn cocktail, fish-n-chips, steak and kidney pie, chicken a la kiev and chicken tettrazini. You can feast upon this gorgeous buffet spread pegged at Rs 1500 for lunch and Rs 1800 for dinner.
To entice Puja revellers, chefs Kaushik Saha and Kuntal Das at the Park will rustle up a sholo ana Bangali buffet spread. On offer for lunch is a Maha Bhoj showcasing best traditional Bengali delicacies. Take a stroll down the heritage lane as you start your meal with ampora sherbat, binge into non-vegetarian fare with pabda paturi, dab chingri, chingri malai curry, kasha mangsho and murgi'r jhol. "To complement your sweet tooth, there is the all time favourite sandesh and mishti doi," added Hem at the Park.
"Aaheli at the Peerless Inn plans to mark 'Sarodiyar Bhuribhoj' with specialities from bonedi bari of Kolkata," added general manager Subhomoy Dey. There is aam porar sherbet and dugdho monthon to begin with. For the main course, you can choose from delicacies like mochar chop, rui maacher patisapta, chingrir patisapta, topshey bhaja, maacher matha diye moog dal, daab chingri, kankrar jhal, dhumro gondhi ilish, sorse paarshey, kochi panthar jhol or murgir kasha. Kheerer patisapta, chhanar payesh, Aaheli'r sandesh and sarodiyar mishti mookh (assorted sweets) completes it.
Authentic festive delicacies are also being dished out from the kitchens of Hyatt Regency. As the city starts preparing for Durga Puja savour mouth-watering goodies like posto peyajer bora, bhetki kobiraj, mochar ghonto, chingri macher chop and kasha mangsho.
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Kandivli turns into mini Bengal for Durga puja
MUMBAI: Special lighting from Chandannagar, face masks from Purulia and bhog prepared with fine-grained rice and dal, all serve to recreate several mini-Bengals in the Kandivli-Borivli belt during Durga puja. The vast population of Bengalis in the area has devised no less than five puja pandals, the more the merrier say natives as well as cosmopolitan Mumbaikars who enjoy pandal-hopping through the suburbs.
Thakur Complex and Thakur Village have two 'pujos' each, while Kandivli Lokhandwala has one. Believed to be splinter groups from theKandivli East Bengali Association (KEBA), they draw pandal-hoppers from across the suburbs.
The KEBA puja at the BMC ground enters its 13th year, says spokesperson Arup Mukharjee. "Around 50,000 people visit over the days, drawn by the fact that our rituals and shows are all in sync with Bengali culture and tradition," he says. "The 16-ft ekchala idol of Ma Durga and her family all crafted in a single frame is spectacularly beautiful."
Like KEBA, the neighbouring Thakur Village Bengali Association started its celebrations with an 'Ananda Mela' on Saturday. "Our shola idol is a major attraction and this year, we have decorated the pandal with masks worn by Chhau dancers of Purulia," says general secretary Surajit Ghosh. The association has procured special lights from Chandannagar, making it seem as if Mumbai has been transformed into a mini Bengal.
Diners at the Krishti pandal in Lokhandwala, meanwhile, have spread the word about the delicious bhog served here. "We prepare it using special small fragrant rice named gobindbhog chaal, sona muger dal or refined moong dal, and special cow ghee called jharna ghee," says president Partha Mitra. This year, the pandal resembles an old temple and . Done up in jute, it has statues of Ramakrishna and Sarada Ma at the entrance.
"Initially we would visit the Durga puja pandals in Borivli but the convenience of having two new pandals in the neighbourhood beats the rigours of travelling all the way and then seeking parking space," says blogger Tanya Munshi who lives in Thakur Village. "The locality wears a festive feel late into the night. Families dressed in traditional attire walk leisurely along the streets, shopping at stalls selling quintessential Bengali stuff...from saris and jewellery to delicacies like mishti doi and fish cutlets. For those of us who can't visit Kolkata often, it seems as if Kolkata comes to us."
Kandivli turns into a mini-Bengal of sorts for not only do craftsmen arrive in droves for the mandap decoration, even folk musicians and native rock bands are invited to perform. This year, Kolkata band Krosswinds, singers Monali Thakur and Shilpa Rao will sing at Krishti.
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