Ghisingh cuts down to one day puja

Darjeeling : GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh is set to spring a Puja surprise.

The leader had in the past introduced an 18-hand Durga idol (instead of the traditional 10 hands) and had completely replaced the idol with the shila (stone) last year.

This year, Ghisingh plans to organise a one-day Durga Puja, using a shila, at Chowrastha here.

Tika Khati, the director of the newly formed ecclesiastical department of the DGHC, today said the programme would be organised by his staff members in association with the department of information and culture and the Darjeeling municipality.

According to the tradition of the hill people, the Puja is either held for nine days or for three days and on both occasions it is supposed to end a day before Vijaya Dashami. Ghisingh has over the years mostly stuck to the nine-day tradition, both with idol and shila.

“This year, the shila puja is being organised more as a tourist festival,” Khati added when asked about the reason for the change.

The organising committee of the DGHC has, however, decided to organise a phulpati celebration as has been done in the past. People participating in a phulpati procession take flowers and leaves from the altars at home to a common place of worship.

The DGHC phulpati procession — which is usually accompanied by people dressed in traditional attire — will start from Ava Art Gallery here and will culminate at Chowrastha where the shila Puja will take place.

The newly formed Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has also decided to bring out its own phulpati procession in town tomorrow. The new party was floated by former GNLF leader Bimal Gurung after he was expelled recently, allegedly for anti-party activities.

“We want the hill people to celebrate Durga Puja the way we had been doing before Ghisingh came along. We will bring out our own phulpati procession so that people can celebrate the Puja in the traditional way,” said Binay Tamang, the press and publicity secretary of the new hill party.

The phulpati procession of the GJM will start from Eden Dham near Motor Stand at 10am in the morning and will end at the Mahakal temple, which is situated at Observatory Hill. The temple is unique as both a Hindu priest and a Buddhist monk sit and offer prayers at the same altar.

Source: The Telegraph