Pele inaugurates Durga Puja in Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 12 (IANS) A bit of Samba, a slice of cake and glimpse of goddess Durga on the auspicious day of Mahalaya – Brazilian soccer legend Pele did it all here on the second day of his India tour on Monday.

Exhibiting a dash of his country’s native dance and music, Pele belted out a Samba beat in front of hundreds of spectators and later on, cut his 75th birth anniversary cake, in advance, in Kolkata.

He is the city after 38 years and has a host of events lined up till Tuesday.

Notwithstanding a hectic Monday afternoon – interaction with students, chat show with former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, cake-cutting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee – the septuagenarian soccer icon was game for visiting a Durga puja pandal in south Kolkata.

Flanked by Ganguly, Pele launched the Chetla Agrani club’s marquee late in the evening.

Surrounded by his security detail and paparazzi, Pele listened in rapt attention as Ganguly explained to him the nuances of the annual festival.

Despite the mad rush of fans and unrelenting heat, Pele seemed at ease as he surveyed the idol and marquee.

Durga puja begins on October 19.