Kolkata, Sept. 29 -- Kolkata today woke up to a symphony of devotion and festivity on Maha Saptami, the day two of the five-day Durga Puja carnival, as the air vibrated with the rhythm of dhaak, mingling with the laughter of children, the chatter of families and the aroma of culinary delicacies.
The morning began with sacred rituals, chief among them pran pratistha, when the goddess was symbolically endowed with life through the consecration of the 'Navapatrika', a cluster of nine plants embodying Durga's presence.
The ceremonial bath of the 'Kola Bou', a tender banana plant draped as a bride, followed a poetic act of ritual that placed her beside Lord Ganesha amid the resonant beats of the dhaak.
After the ritual, special worship for Sa...