HINJEWADI, PUNE — August 13, 2026: There is an irony in Durga Puja that many Bengali women know well. For five days, devotees worship to Goddess Durga as the embodiment of Shakti—strength, courage and the power to overcome adversity. Yet, when the planning meetings begin, women are not always present in the rooms where the most important decisions are made.
At Oitijhyo Sarbojonin Cultural Association, Hinjewadi Phase 2, Pune , that tradition is being challenged from the very beginning.
The association will host its first Sharodiya Durgotsav from October 16 to 21, 2026, with women’s empowerment as its central theme. More importantly, the theme will extend beyond the pandal and cultural programme. Women are taking an active leadership role in the core committee, participating in planning, decision-making, financial management, cultural activities and the overall execution of the Puja.
Women Leading Durga Puja: From Participation to Leadership
Women have always been essential to the success of community festivals. They prepare bhog and prasad, coordinate cultural programmes, welcome guests, care for children and manage countless details that keep a Puja running.
What is changing is the opportunity for women to move from supporting roles into positions of leadership.
Across Bengal, women are increasingly taking responsibility for rituals, committee management, cultural coordination and other aspects of Durga Puja. At Kolkata’s 66 Pally, women priests have led Durga Puja rituals, while the Jagrihi Women’s Welfare Association in Barisha has organised an all-women Durga Puja for more than two decades. Women dhakis have also become increasingly visible at Puja celebrations across Bengal.
These developments demonstrate that women are not entering a tradition that is unfamiliar to them. They have always been part of the cultural fabric surrounding Durga Puja.
What is changing is visibility, recognition and access to decision-making.
Oitijhyo Sarbojonin wants its first Puja to become part of that positive change.
A festival that celebrates Goddess Durga as Shakti should also create opportunities for women to demonstrate leadership, contribute ideas and take responsibility.
Turning Women’s Empowerment Into Action
For Oitijhyo, women’s empowerment is not intended to remain a slogan displayed at the entrance of the pandal.
It will be reflected in how the festival is planned and delivered.
Women will play an important role in the core committee and will contribute to decisions involving the organisation, budget management, cultural activities and community participation. This approach places women at the centre of the festival rather than creating a separate role for them on the sidelines.
The cultural programme will also create opportunities for women and girls across generations.
A young child may take the stage for her first dance performance. Teenagers may showcase their musical or artistic talents. Women who once performed but stepped away from the stage because of work, family or other responsibilities may find an opportunity to return.
Every performance can become a small act of confidence and expression.
Supporting Women Entrepreneurs and Local Creators
The empowerment theme will also extend beyond performances and committee responsibilities.
Oitijhyo plans to encourage participation from women entrepreneurs, home bakers, artists, designers, craft makers and small-business owners in and around Hinjewadi.
For a home baker, a Puja stall can introduce her products to new customers. For an artist, a cultural exhibition can provide visibility. For a small-business owner, participation can create valuable community connections.
The objective is to create practical opportunities rather than limit empowerment to speeches and messages.
When a woman receives customers for the business she built from home, when a craftswoman gets an opportunity to display her work, or when a young performer gains confidence on stage, the idea of Shakti becomes part of everyday community life.
A Sarbojonin Puja Open to Everyone
Oitijhyo Sarbojonin is designed as a community Durga Puja for everyone.
Men, women, children and senior citizens from different states, languages and cultural backgrounds are welcome to participate in the celebration.
Women’s leadership is not about excluding men or creating divisions. It is about ensuring that women have an equal opportunity to contribute, influence decisions and accept responsibility.
That spirit is particularly relevant in Hinjewadi, a diverse and rapidly developing community where professionals, entrepreneurs, families and individuals from across India live and work together.
The Puja aims to provide a welcoming environment where people can reconnect with their cultural traditions, build new friendships and participate actively in community life.
Why Women’s Leadership Matters in Hinjewadi
Hinjewadi is home to women working as engineers, doctors, teachers, managers, entrepreneurs and artists. It is also home to homemakers and caregivers who often balance family responsibilities while living far away from their hometowns and extended families.
For many, community festivals provide an important connection to the cultural traditions they grew up with.
Oitijhyo hopes to recreate that sense of belonging in Hinjewadi while building something that reflects the changing community around it.
The first year of a community Puja is particularly significant because it establishes the culture that future generations inherit.
The association wants its founding year to establish a simple principle:
This Puja should be built with women’s leadership and remain open to everyone.
Building a Lasting Tradition
The first Sharodiya Durgotsav of Oitijhyo Sarbojonin is intended to create more than a six-day celebration.
The organisers want to establish a long-term community tradition based on inclusion, participation, equality and shared leadership.
Years from now, when today’s children become volunteers, performers and committee members, the hope is that women’s participation will not need to be presented as a special initiative. It will simply be part of how the Puja works.
Goddess Durga represents the strength to challenge obstacles and protect what matters. Oitijhyo wants to carry that spirit into the community by creating a festival where women are trusted not only to participate, but also to lead.
Durga will arrive in Hinjewadi this October. Oitijhyo Sarbojonin hopes to welcome her with devotion, celebration and a community that believes Shakti belongs in every part of the festival.
Oitijhyo Sarbojonin Durga Puja 2026
Dates: October 16–21, 2026
Venue: Sitai Banquet Hall, Hinjewadi Phase II, Pune
Theme: Women's Empowerment
Get More Information
For event information and enquiries:
https://www.oitijhyosarbojonin.com/contact
Sponsorship, Partnership and Participation
Women entrepreneurs, performers, volunteers, artists, businesses and community members interested in participating or supporting the first-year Puja can contact:
Email: contactus@oitijhyosarbojonin.com
WhatsApp: 8956047464
About Oitijhyo Sarbojonin Cultural Association
Oitijhyo Sarbojonin Cultural Association is a community initiative in Hinjewadi Phase 2, Pune, created to bring people together through cultural celebration, shared traditions and inclusive community participation. Its inaugural Sharodiya Durgotsav in 2026 places women's empowerment and shared leadership at the center of the celebration.