Homage to deceased members: Celebrations at Victory XI, Shashi Bhushan low key this year

Lucknow: Remembering their deceased flag-bearers and prominent members, Victory XI and Shashi Bhushan Durga Puja committees have planned to tone down the celebrations this year. Both the pujas are stepping into their 51st year of celebration.

Victory XI Durga Puja was started by a group of friends who were members of a sports club in 1974. They did not think much about the name for the puja and named it after their football and cricket club – Victory XI.

Victory XI Durga Puja committee lost six of its members including Shobha Dutta, Beena Acharya, Ashish Bhattacharya, BD Chaudhary and Sushrit Chatterjee.

“Apart from keeping the decorations low key, we have cancelled Anando Mela this year. We will have a poster consisting of photographs of all those we lost this year in the pandal. A 12 ft idol made in Lucknow will be part of the puja. A blood donation camp will be organised on the day of Saptami,” said media secretary Sushanto Mukherjee.

The puja at Shashi Bhushan was started by Debendranath Bhattacharya, a banker, along with his brothers Lalitendra, Dijendranath, Atindernath and a few friends in 1974. Former general secretary of Shashi Bhushan Durga Puja Committee Ashish Bhattacharya passed away earlier this year.

“We are not holding any cultural programmes to pay homage to Bhattacharya. However, we will resume the tradition of serving bhog in a way in which people can sit and enjoy food. This tradition could not be followed last year due to certain issues,” said general secretary of the committee Ashok Kumar Kirti.

He also shared that they would have a Madhubani -themed pandal like the one last year and there would be a photograph of Bhattacharya and somebody would brief people about him and his life.