In Silchar all women Durga Puja committee celebrates 25 years

Guwahati: A leading women Durga Puja committee in Assam’s Silchar is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

The committee, formed in 1999 by a group of homemakers, has been organizing the puja with unwavering dedication, overcoming challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.
The committee’s decision to hold an all-women Durga Puja was based on its belief in the potential of women.

“Despite Goddess Durga being a woman, most of the pujas are done by men. We wanted to change the trend and show that women can do it too,” said one of the founder members.
This year the Silver Jubilee celebrations have been going on for six months. “We started preparations immediately after last year’s puja and started collecting donations about six months ago,” they said.
The theme of this year’s puja is the celebration of womanhood, represented by nine versions of Goddess Durga.
“These nine ‘rupas’ (versions) of Maa Durga symbolize women and their diverse temperaments. We believe that we are part of Maa Durga, and this is our celebration this year,” they explained.
The committee consists of men only to carry the idol of Durga. Juthika Paul, an organizer, mentioned wanting a female priest to perform the puja but could not find one.
While women priests have started performing Durga Puja rituals in some pandals, it is not yet widespread.
Silchar’s all-women Durga Puja Committee is one of the few in Assam, another notable one being at Pandu in Guwahati. Their efforts continue to empower women and challenge traditional gender roles in religious practices.