Photographs: Dipak Chakraborty
'Mahashtami', considered the most auspicious of the four-day pujas, was ushered in on Monday with 'anjali' to Goddess Durga to the beat of drums.
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IN PICS: Mahashtami celebrated with fervour in Kolkata
Image: The puja pandal at Mudiali in KolkataPhotographs: Dipak Chakraborty
With the weather remaining dry, lakhs of people milled around puja pandals with some enterprising puja committees constructing replicas of famous structures from across the country.
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IN PICS: Mahashtami celebrated with fervour in Kolkata
Image: The puja pandal at Mudiali in KolkataPhotographs: Dipak Chakraborty
The famous Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, marble Durga temple blending Gujarati and Bengali architectural styles and Sripuram Lakshinarayani temple among others came alive on the streets of Kolkata.
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IN PICS: Mahashtami celebrated with fervour in Kolkata
Image: The puja pandal at Barisha club in KolkataPhotographs: Dipak Chakraborty
At Belur Math on the banks of the river Hoooghly in neighbouring Howrah district, 'Kumari Puja' was held as per the custom started by Ramakrishna Paramahansha in the late 19th century.
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IN PICS: Mahashtami celebrated with fervour in Kolkata
Image: The puja pandal at Baishnabghata PatuliPhotographs: Dipak Chakraborty
The puja, offered to a little girl as the mother goddess by the Ramakrishna Mission monks, was watched by thousands of devotees before partaking of mahaprasad.
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IN PICS: Mahashtami celebrated with fervour in Kolkata
Image: The puja pandal at Manasbag SarbojoninPhotographs: Dipak Chakraborty
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