Hello Mumbai City Desk :
The auspicious festival of Durga Puja also known Navratri is being celebrated across India with Full spirit Specially in Mumbai people from different societies enjoying this festival.
Asia’s Famous Red Light Area Kamathipura now in festive mood Navratri and Durga puja Celebration being celebrated in almost 14 lanes of Kamathipura. More than 50 Durga pooja Pandals this year celebrating Navratri Utsav.
Allapa Mahadev from Shri Shitla Devi Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal while speaking with hello mumbai News said, ”
Our pandal Founded in 1977 ) is more than 47 years old this year we have completed 48 years at this pandal we welcome to all community people including local sex workers they also visit our pandals, perform puja and take blessings of Durgaa Maa, Earlier this area was dominated by Nepali and south Indian Sex workers but now for past 12 years Bengali sex workers influence increased in the area. As we know Durga puja is very important festival for them but they won’t be able to go there hometown so they visit our pandals and we allowed them respect them because they are also human being like us.
Before Navratri we distributed Sarees among all sex workers so that they can celebrate this festival with traditional styles we distributed these traditional saree among all sex workers, Explained Allapa Mahadev.
Ashok Bhanushali From Shri Shitla Devi Mandal says we celebrate all religious festivals in Kamathipura because this are is good example of secularism recently we celebrated Eid -E Milad and distributed Sweets among Muslim community, we respect and Welcome to sex workers when they visit our pandals for taking blessings of Durgaa Maa.
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“There is no discrimination we welcome to all people from different section of the society as our Pandal name is “Adishakti Utsav Sarvajanik Mandal locate d at 11 th lane of Kamathipura and this lane is fully dominated by sex workers, they come from various part of the country like West Bengal , Bihar, Jharkhand
All of them come and visit our Pandals we also organise 10 days Garba and Dandiya for them they enjoy and performe their rituals “, said Ganesh Maharaj one of the main trustee of Adishakti Sarvajanik Ganesh & Navratri Utsav Mandal.
Another sex workers says as we come from poor background we can’t go our home town to celebrate Durga puja so we do here and we also enjoy thre Garba in our local area with safety and security.
We are thankful and highly obliged to these Mandals they Organise for us such a wonderful 10 Navratri Utsav we visit these Mandals performe puja as per our traditional way and enjoy this festival in our local area they all respect us said a senior Bengali Sex worker.
