<a href="http://ethnomediallc.com/wpress/?pp_album=1&pp_image=baarite_chaanda_web.jpg" target="_top" title="baarite chaanda web"><img class="alignleft" src="http://ethnomediallc.com/wpress/wp-content/photos/thumb_baarite_chaanda_web.jpg" width="200" height="156" alt="baarite chaanda web" /></a>If organizers really want to democratize the celebration and cater to the majority, then along with the brochures, it may be a good idea to publish the projected expenses and a poll form to solicit feedback from participants on issues that are important to them. 
Some poll questions could be: 
Are you OK with buying food rather than having it served free, if that curtails the puja budget  (and chandaa) by 25%? 
If goat curry eats up more than 50% of the food budget, should we persist with it? 
What type of entertainment do you prefer: (Rank 1-5 in order of preference)
Local artistes/ Imported icons/ Classical music/Dance/etc/ ..etc.

Otherwise it does not matter what the public says; you have a group that celebrates Puja; either join them and play by their rules or stay away. The organizers work very hard towards making the Puja a success and I am afraid that critical comments on chandaa might undermine their efforts and motivation. 

From Purnada’s budget, it seems that $75 is the threshold for break-even. Being a non-profit organization, the general public should understand that Kallol contributes towards many of our cultural activities outside the realm of Durga Puja. ( like Ananda Mandir etc). The surplus chandaa should be invested towards promoting other cultural activities like drama, ldevelopment of local talent, Bengali movies, language development etc which happen throughout the year. With knowledge of such utilization of funds, I believe the paying public would refrain from being skeptical about the $100 chandaa.
Without a proper understanding of all the activities and the budget, many are inclined to  think that $100 as chandaa for Puja is debatable.  

However the organizers should be cognizant of the fact that Durga Puja is meant to bring the community together for celebration on a common platform. You do not want to exclude the average family from enjoying the Puja ambience due to the price tag of the celebration. 
Can an average family be part of the Puja ambience ( dhak , adda, chaa, etc ..) without participating in the inflationary items like goat meat and other non-essential items that come as accessories with the Pujas? Should some gatekeepers be vested the authority of control of  ‘ Pratima Darshan’ ?  I believe that ‘Pratima Darshan’ is a birthright of every Bengali, and it is unfair to link it to a statutory contribution. We have to find a means to ensure that that there is a way to participate in the religious side of the Pujas without having to participate in the accessories. 
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