States » EastPosted at: Oct 4 2026 5:30PM


Bengal: Housewives save Annapurna Bhandar money to fulfil a village's Durga Puja dream

Hemant Jacob
Pandua, Oct 4 (UNI) For years, the women of Simlagarh village in Pandua watched the Durga Puja celebrations in neighbouring villages from a distance, carrying a quiet wish of their own — to bring the festival to their village.
This year, a group of homemakers has turned that long-standing dream into reality by saving the money they received under the Annapurna Bhandar scheme to organise the first Durga Puja in the village.
The women, members of the Matrishakti Committee, have traditionally organised Kali Puja every year, but the absence of a Durga Puja in their own village had remained a disappointment.
The situation changed after they began receiving money under the Annapurna Bhandar scheme from June.
The committee members decided collectively to set aside the entire amount instead of spending it on household requirements and to use their savings to meet the expenses of organising Durga Puja.
"We celebrate Kali Puja every year, but Durga Puja is held in the neighbouring village. We desperately wanted to organise Durga Puja in our own village, but we did not have the funds. We are all housewives," one of the committee members of the puja, Kanika Mondal, said.
"As soon as we started receiving the Annapurna Bhandar money from June, we unanimously decided not to spend it on our personal family expenses and save the entire amount for Durga Puja," another member, Mukti Halder, said.
The women recently performed the traditional khuti puja, marking the formal beginning of preparations for the festival. They described the occasion as an emotional moment after years of waiting.
"The khuti puja was a thrilling experience for all of us. Amid the chanting of mantras by the priest, rhythmic drum beats, conch shells and ulu dhwani, the khuti puja was performed. We are now all set to celebrate Durga Puja for the first time in our village," another member, Mridula Biswas, said.
The organisers said they had neither sought a government grant nor collected donations from residents or others to finance the puja.
According to them, the festival is being funded entirely through the money they have saved from the Annapurna Bhandar payments.
The women said they would pray to Goddess Durga for a prosperous Bengal and a long life for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"We thank Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari because he kept his promise and we have all received the Annapurna Bhandar amount. We wanted to use the money we saved for a divine cause, and our dream of organising Durga Puja has finally come true," another member, Monika Mondal, said.
Pandua MLA Tushar Majumdar said the initiative reflected the growing participation of women in community activities.
"Matrishakti is emerging. It was there before, but now it is becoming more and more awake. They are organising the puja through their own efforts with Annapurna Yojana money without taking donations from anyone," Majumdar said.
He added that the women were seeking blessings for a prosperous Bengal and a prosperous India.
For the women of Simlagarh, the first Durga Puja is therefore more than a festival.
It is the result of months of collective saving and an effort to turn a long-held village dream into a reality.
UNI HC/SAG NST RSA
Tags: #Bengal: Housewives save Annapurna Bhandar money to fulfil a village's Durga Puja dream
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