India, Sept. 23 -- The onset of Navratri brought the start of Durga Puja preparations in the city on Saturday, with Khuti Puja ceremonies held across residential societies and community centres.

More than 100 pandals are being set up ahead of the festival, officials and residents said.

At Babupur Community Centre in Sector 108, residents from several societies along the Dwarka Expressway gathered for Khuti Puja, a Bengali ritual involving the ceremonial erection and worship of a bamboo pole to mark the beginning of pandal construction. The event included prayers, dhaak drumming, and ulu dhwani, residents of the area said.

"The excitement is in the air-Durga Puja is just around the corner. For us Bengalis, no matter where we are, this i...