Don’t hurt Sanatani traditions, CM Suvendu tells Puja organisers
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari has issued new guidelines for Durga Puja, including a ban on DJ music and restrictions on immersion carnivals to preserve traditional culture. The state will provide grants and electricity waivers to committees while emphasizing adherence to Sanatani traditions.
Why it matters
The directives reflect a shift in state-managed cultural policy and the intersection of religious tradition with administrative governance.
By: Soumitra NandiKOLKATA: All Durga Puja pandals and themes should keep in mind and conform to the festival’s original significance and tradition, CM Suvendu Adhikari told organisers during a meeting on Monday while announcing several breaks from the celebration that Kolkata and Bengal had got used to seeing in the last few years.The state administration would not organise any immersion carnival but there would be roadshows during the festival days, besides the Mahalaya programme at Eden Gardens the state announced a few days ago, he said.A partial ban on the sale of alcohol would also be re-entering the Durga Puja calendar this year, with Adhikari announcing liquor vends would be shut on Ashtami.The CM announced a Durga Puja grant of Rs 1 lakh for organisers but appealed to big-budget pujas not to apply for it.
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