KOLKATA, INDIA, October 18, 2004: If you are away from home in a foreign land and missing the Durga Puja festivities, don’t lose heart. Instead, get to a computer and connect to the Internet to find Goddess Durga with her entire ensemble waiting for you. Keeping in mind the millions of lonely and homesick Bengali hearts, who may be thousands of miles away from home, an IT company in West Bengal has arranged to webcast the Durga Puja festivities. On the company’s website, here, one can get to see not only the various community festivities, but also offer homage to the Deities. “There are millions of people across the globe who can’t make it home for Durga Puja, and so miss it. It’s our effort to take Goddess Durga and their home ambience to them,” said Tanmoy Goswami of Techno Developers’ Group. The website, which Goswami claims is gaining in popularity with NRIs in North America and Europe, will beam pictures of various community marquees where clay icons of the Deities are worshipped. “The idea is to give our visitors a snapshot of what is happening in West Bengal in Durga Puja,” Goswami said. The website would also webcast the elaborate rituals involved in worshipping Goddess Durga and worshipers can offer homage by clicking on the site. “One can watch the prayer ritual called pushpanjali (flower offerings) as it is performed, complete with the chanting of the religious hymns. That way, one could also offer ones homage and prayers,” Goswami said. The five-day festival that celebrates 10-armed Hindu Goddess Durga’s slaying of demon king Mahishasur, marking the victory of good over evil, begins October 19. The Deities are worshipped inside ingeniously and aesthetically decorated temporary marquees, colloquially called pandals, which are visited by millions of merrymakers dressed in their best. The autumn festival, the equivalent of Christmas for Bengalis in terms of festivity and revelry, will end October 23 with the immersion of the icons .

GUWAHATI, ASSAM, INDIA, October 18, 2004: Though Bodo militants have proposed a ceasefire in Assam, the state government is making massive security arrangements for the Durga Puja with the serial blasts that killed 60 people fresh in their memory. The state police have been put on maximum alert after interceptions of possible ULFA strikes during the festive season. “Its a very good sign that people have come out and are enjoying this festive atmosphere. But since it is a very huge affair, their cooperation will be required,” said Hiren Nath Ray, SP, Guwahati. The 330 Puja pandals (temporary temples) in the city will be guarded by the state police. “Because of the bomb blasts, people are scared. We are told to remain home at night, but we would like to move out during the day,” said Kanchan, a local. The serial blasts that shook the state in the beginning of this month have not dampened the spirit. On the one hand the administration is happy that people are coming out to celebrate the Puja, on the other they are worried particularly after the latest trend of militant outfits targeting crowded places. The massive security arrangement will just be a deterrent, and the government will hope the festival passes off peacefully.

CALCUTTA, INDIA, October 15, 2004: Courtesy the festivals and the wedding season, flower prices have hit the roof. To top it all, came last week’s deluge, preceded by a long spell of rain in September, destroying more than half the state’s produce. “Around 13,490 metric tones of flowers, worth US$1.9 million, have perished in the deluge,” said Sudhanshu Sil, Member of Parliament and chairman of Mullickghat Phoolbazar Parichalan Samiti. The deluge had inundated 2,698 hectares in the two Midnapores, Nadia, Birbhum, North and South 24-Parganas and Howrah. Around 3,000 farmers and sellers bring their produce daily to Mullickghat, the largest wholesale flower market in eastern India. Most of them are now busy taking stock of their losses. With the festival favorites like lotus, marigold, jaba, aparajita and dopati having taken a severe beating, decorators are a discontented lot. “The price of lotus — a must for Durga puja (worship) — has risen manifold. My expenses, too, will see a matching rise,” said Arup Nag, general secretary of the Decorators Samannyaya Samiti. The wholesale price of roses has shot up from $1.14 per 100 pieces to $3.18. “In November, it will cross the $6.81 mark,” said Sadhan Das, secretary of the Mullickbazar Phool Chashi O Bikreta Union. Coloured Gladiolii, which now sell at $1.59 a dozen at the wholesale market, are likely to cost $3.41 by November-end. The rains have also played spoilsport with the export market.

NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 14, 2004: After the government decided to allow crematoriums to become privatized, many of the previous problems disappeared. S.K. Sethi, secretary of Arya Samaj Lodhi Road Society, which took over Nigambodh Ghat a year ago, explains, “Earlier, there were frequent fights over the quality of wood sold for use in pyres. Relatives performing last rites were expected to sort out the logs and also wheel the carts. The MCD staff used to ask for anything between US$1.00 to $2.00 to help the families with such chores. The pundits too demanded donations over their regular fees.” Diwan Chand, also of the society, adds, “When we took over, the place was pretty bad. Stray cattle and smack addicts had taken over the prayer halls and there was no proper lighting or seating arrangements. There was filth all around and the place wore an eerie look. There were frequent thefts - shoes disappeared while people were praying.” Vikas Handa, who is in charge at Nigambodh Ghat, says, “On completion of registration formalities, our staff is there to assist people at every step. Except for the MCD official who issues death certificates, the entire staff has changed.” Rakesh Mehta, MCD commissioner, sums it up, “The feedback forms received from privatized grounds indicates that people are largely satisfied with services.”

ROURKELA, ORISSA, INDIA, October 17, 2004: In a major reconversion drive by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), as many as 336 tribals of 80 families in 11 villages under Sundargarh district of Orissa were reconverted to Hinduism at a special function in Baridia on Sunday. Over 2,500 women in a kalas yatra arrived at the site where the tribal Christians, including 144 men, 117 women and 75 children, were reconverted to Hinduism through a Sudhikriya programme organized by the VHP. The all-India general secretary, Mohan Joshi, conducted the yagyan (fire worship) at the site in presence of several other top VHP leaders of the State.The reconverted persons were offered dhoti, saree and photographs of various Deities after the ceremony.