Puja Cherry visits ‘Ripu Rajani’ Durga Puja mandap

Actress Puja Cherry visited the much-discussed ‘Ripu Rajani’ Durga Puja mandap at Talukdar Bari Banimandir in North Kattali, Chattogram, on Maha Navami.

The mandap has drawn large crowds for its distinctive decorations and creative theme this year.

Puja wore a black saree featuring intricate zari and threadwork. She also shared photographs on social media showing her visiting the mandap and offering prayers to Goddess Durga at another puja venue.

Alongside the photographs, the actress posted a message reflecting on the significance of Navami.

“Navami reminds us that establishing the goddess in a temple is easy, but establishing her in our consciousness is difficult. As long as we remain silent in the face of injustice, indifferent to disrespect towards women and unmoved by the suffering of the vulnerable, the worship of the goddess will remain incomplete,” she wrote.

She added that true worship means making the defeat of evil a daily commitment of conscience rather than leaving it confined to mythology.

The 58th Durga Puja is being celebrated at Banimandir in North Kattali this year. Organised by the Sebakhola and Baikunthadham Puja Celebration Council, the mandap follows the theme ‘Ripu Rajani’, focusing on the spiritual struggle against six inner enemies: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and envy.

One of the mandap’s distinctive features is its use of metal instead of clay to make the idols. According to the organisers, the concept was developed by Optimistic De, while artist Kartik Pal worked on the intricate detailing of the goddess’s idol.

Artificial fog and blue laser lighting, arranged by Kailash Lighting, have added a distinctive atmosphere to the venue.