Lucknow: Devotion, music and festive cheer marked Navami celebrations at Durga Puja pandals across the city on Monday.Women in colourful sarees, lehengas and anarkalis and men in dhotis and kurtas thronged pandals to seek Goddess Durga’s blessings amid dhunuchi smoke and rituals.At Badshah Nagar Durga Puja pandal, Sandhi Puja was performed in the morning, with devotees offering prayers to Goddess Chandi. By evening, the pandal came alive with a musical performance by a 12-member orchestra troupe from Kanpur. The singers presented evergreen Bollywood numbers from the 1960s and 1970s, including ‘Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh’, ‘Abhi Na Jao Chhor Kar’, ‘Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe’, ‘Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko’, ‘Yeh Shaam Mastani’ and ‘Gulabi Aankhen’, drawing loud cheers from the audience.At Bongiyo Mitali Sangho, devotees were served bhog comprising puri, sabzi, kheer and laddoo after Sandhi Puja. Dhunuchi dance added to the festive mood, while youngsters joined dandiya celebrations later in the night.“We celebrate Maa’s homecoming with food, dance and joy. This is why we opened our gates to youngsters for dandiya,” said Nivedita Mukherjee, secretary of the women’s wing.At Ramakrishna Math, Chandigarh-based sitarist Sumit Padam Singh presented Raga Rageshree, accompanied by Lucknow tabla artiste Ustad Ilmas Hussain Khan, lending a soulful touch to the evening.
