Pranab Mukherjee Becomes A Priest In Ancestral Village

Far away from the maddening pace of politics in Delhi's corridors of power, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is presently busy donning the mantle of a priest and performing the Durga Puja rituals in his ancestral village of Mirati near Kirnahar, Birbhum.

On Saptami on Monday, Mukherjee accompanied by his MLA son Abhijit, began the Durga Puja rituals with the traditional kalabou (banana tree) snan (bath) or Nabapatrika early in the morning. This is a tradition which involves bathing the stem of a banana tree in a river or a pond to start the Durga Puja festivities.

Pranab Mukherjee then participated in anjali and aarti. During Durga Puja, he wears the special silk robe known as pattabastra which is worn by priest during the worship of Goddess Durga.

On these days, reports Asian Age, the doors of Mukherjee Bhawan are thrown open to all. Not only the residents of Mirati village, but villagers from several neighbouring hamlets assemble here and all of them are served meals.

From: http://ping.fm/JPgG3