Durga Puja Festivities Begin Today

Indians celebrate many festivals throughout the year. Durga Puja is a significant Hindu festival in West Bengal, mainly celebrated by Bengali people. It happens in September and October and honours the power of the goddess Durga, who defeated the demon king Mahishasura.

In Siliguri, preparations for Durga Puja have been going on for weeks. The festival begins on October 21st (Maha Saptami) and ends on October 24th (Vijaya Dashami) when the idols are immersed in water bodies.

The town is filled with beautifully decorated pandals, which are like temporary temples. Inside these pandals, you’ll find idols of Goddess Durga, along with Goddess Saraswati and Lakshmi, and Gods Kartikeya and Ganesha. There’s also a defeated demon Mahishasura at the feet of Goddess Durga, and each deity has an animal companion.

The pandals are open to the public, and people of all ages are visiting to see the idols. Due to the large crowds, there’s more traffic and road congestion. To make pandal hopping safe and enjoyable, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police (SMP) has launched a free mobile app called Kavach.

This app, which can be downloaded from Google Playstore, is designed to provide quick assistance during emergencies. Instead of calling 100 to reach the police, you just press a button in the app. This will notify the police control room, and they’ll track your location and send help. The app will be available all year.