Durga Puja 2024: The great festival of Shardiya Navratri has started. It is celebrated in every state according to its own traditions. Talking about Bollywood, it is made up of a combination of many religions, castes and cultures, hence in Shardiya Navratri, along with Dandiya and Garba, the colors of the world famous Durga Puja of West Bengal are also there. Is also seen extensively in the festival. Bollywood celebrities also become an important part of this. Where the grand pandal of Maa Durga, the echo of Dhak is heard along with Dhunachi dance. Report of Urmila Kori on the famous puja pandals related to Bollywood and what is going to be special this time.

North Mumbai is the public worship of entire Bollywood Durga Puja

This is one of the oldest Durga Puja in Mumbai. This Durga Puja tradition is 77 years old. Film maker Shashadhar Mukherjee and his wife Satirani Mukherjee started this puja in Mumbai in the year 1947, since then their coming generations are taking this puja forward. In the present times, Kajol, Sharbani Mukherjee, Ayan Mukherjee, Samrat Mukherjee together do this puja. Samrat Mukherjee, while talking and giving information about the Durga Puja going to be held this year, says that this time the venue of our puja pandal has changed. For a long time it was being organized at Tulip Hotel in Juhu, but now that hotel has been sold, so this time our puja pandal is on the grounds of SNDT Mahila College, Mumbai. The decoration of the pandal is in Moroccan style. You can call it Bollywood puja. Almost every actor and actress of Bollywood participates in it. Along with this, Ambani family also comes to our puja. The most special attraction of our puja pandal is the presence of many celebrities along with the Sandhi Puja which takes place on the day of Ashtami. There are long queues to eat Bhog (Prasad) in our pandal and many big stars like Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, Ranbir Kapoor are seen distributing this Bhog to the visitors every year. Ten thousand people eat Bhog here every day during Durga Puja and every Two lakh people come to see the puja pandal every day.

Sushmita Sen and Bipasha Basu attend Nutan Palli public Durga Puja.

This Durga Puja was also famous at one time by the name of Durga Utsav of Shakti Samanta. This Durga Puja is completing 52 years this year. Naban Kumar Das is associated with the committee of this puja pandal. He says that this time the pandal will be visible in the design of the temple. You will see a mixed form of Sindhudurg and Omkareshwar temple of Maharashtra in our puja pandal. The idol of Maa Durga was made by Kolkata artisan Shivdas Pal after coming to Mumbai this year also. As far as celebrities are concerned. Sushmita Sen and Bipasha Basu participate in this puja every year. It's like puja at their house. Bipasha had introduced her daughter Devi to the media and other people for the first time in the same puja pandal last year. This year too, she will definitely come to seek blessings of the mother on any day between Shashthi and Dashami.

Roshan family and Asha Bhosle are an important part of yesteryear actor Vishwajeet's Durga Puja.

Vishwajeet, a famous actor of Hindi films, has been organizing Durga Puja in Juhu, Mumbai for the last 21 years. Vishwajeet tells that the specialty of our puja pandal is its golden look. We have been making similar idols and pandals for the last 16 years. This time also the look will be similar. Every year there is a special dance and song during the puja. Many artists perform. This time I am going to do Mohammed Rafi Nights. Rafi's son is also going to join for this. Every year Rakesh Roshan and his entire family used to come to our puja pandal. This time Hrithik Roshan and his family might not be able to come, because he will be abroad at that time. Otherwise, every year only Rakesh Roshan used to take the resolution of puja. Every time Asha Bhosle also comes to our puja pandal. This time also she will come. Well, this time I met Maa Durga in Kolkata and what happened to that doctor girl. I will pray for justice for him. I have a very deep connection with RG Kar Hospital. My father was a student there. My three films were shot in that hospital and my son Prasanjeet was also born. Whatever happened there. That is very sad for me. May Goddess Durga punish the culprits. This will be my prayer.

Singer Abhijeet's identity is linked to Lokhandwala Durga Puja.

This year Durga Puja is going to complete its 30 years. Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya is associated with this Durga Puja. Abhijeet tells that the Dhak player and 4 pandits, catering and idol makers have been coming from Murshidabad for the last 24 years. This time also they are coming from the same place. I do not believe in celebrating theme based puja. I like traditional Bengali style. I like Durga Utsav. However, this will be the first time when I will be out for two days for performance. One day I have a show in Delhi and one in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Well, I have decided that after this year, I will hold only one performance during Durga Puja, not two, so that I can give more time to the puja pandal.