Before we head into the blog, here’s a quick reminder of the awesome menu we have lined up for you at Kolkata Beckons all through Pujo days (11th – 15th October) and for the rest of the month.
Month Long Special – Bhoger Khichuri – Order here
Our Special “Bongnese Treat” – Order here
“Yaa Devi Sarva-Bhutessu Shakti-Ruupenna Samsthitaa
Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namo Namah”
Durga Puja, has arrived with another round of great zeal and enthusiasm to be celebrated over 10 ten nights with tapping feet and swaying to the rhythmic moves of the Dhunuchi naach. A large part of Durga Puja festivities is the grandeur and opulence of the Pujo Pandals. They showcase “Maa” and her family in ways that can only be dreamt of by the finest artisans and craftsmen in the world. Starting months before the Puja, sometime around August, the pandal-makers, who are brought in from rural Bengal, mainly East and West Mednipur districts, as well as Nadia and North and South 24 Parganas, begin their work. The traditional structures of bamboo and cloth form the temporary abode of Maa Durga and the other deities. Despite the impact of modern times, including the setting up of “theme pandals” the main structure housing Devi’s pratima follows the traditional principles.
The art of pandal-making is a type of folk art that is handed down from one generation to another. The pandal-makers earn the most during the two-three months of Pujas, much more than what they get the rest of the year from their farming activities. According to one estimate, a pandal maker typically earns up to Rs 1,500 a day. This against the stat that West Bengal’s Below Poverty Line Population are amongst the least earning daily-wage workers in India. Their craftsmanship is now renowned the world over and prior to the pandemic, “Probashi” Bengalis from countries as far as the US, Australia, UK, South Africa and even Brazil invited these pandal-makers to build these pratimas or imported some idols at really high prices. 2-3 months of work covers these artisans’ families for a large part of the year. Community building through Durga Pujo has thus been established and perfected – globally.
Let’s now look at some of the best work of these artisans from the previous years.
- Sreebhumi Sporting Club Idol, Kolkata
The pandal of Sreebhumi Sporting Club Durga Puja, fashioned after the sets of the film Padmaavat
This 46-year-old Puja organised by Trinamool MLA Sujit Bose entered the Guiness Book of World Record last year for being the biggest crowd puller among the Pujas held in Kolkata, with more than 1,000 people visiting the pandal every five minutes.
The Goddess is wearing gold ornaments weighing 12 kg and designed by Senco Gold.
- Ekdalia Evergreen Club
Designed after the famous “Brihadeeswara Temple” in Tamil Nadu, in 2019 the Ekdalia Evergreen Club went all out with its pandal and decorations. Organised by Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee, this 76-year-old Puja is a must-see in the list of revellers. The gorgeous idol by Sanatan Rudra Pal, the huge chandeliers adorning the ceiling and the illumination all around, are the major attractions of this Puja, located on posh Ekdalia road, near Gariahat, in the heart of south Kolkata.
- Chetla Agrani Club
In 2019, the theme of this Puja was Bisarjan (immersion). Renowned artist Anirban Das built an esoteric atmosphere, where he aimed at taking you alone, face-to-face with your creator, to immerse all your ego, pride and prejudice and come out a reformed and better human being.
The idol, in black, looks imposing and so does the ambience, which has a spiritual feel to it.
- Shib Mandir Club
Designed by Bimal Samanta the theme of the pandal in 2019 was “Maatir Taane”.
It depicts the all-engulfing consumerism that has grasped us and how one needs to go back to nature to derive simple pleasures of life since happiness doesn’t emanate from things material.
The entire pandal was made with discarded materials like broken glass bottles, bricks, coconut shell, rope, fruit carts and other such things, which pointed to the fact that happiness can be derived from small things in life.
- Ahiritola Jubakbrinda
Ahiritola Jubakbrinda, a well-known Durga Puja Committee of North Kolkata, in 2018 kept the theme of their Durga Puja as Utsarito Alo (emerging light) and paid homage to all the sex workers of the city. Our society takes pride in the devotion to Devi Durga, yet fails to worship the womanhood in all of its forms and walks of life. The Committee of Ahiritola was determined to support the journey of the sex workers and pledge to return their basic rights to live in the society.
A 300 feet-long street graffiti was drawn portraying the immense contribution of this community and featuring their untold story which the society has always been ignorant to. Beginning with a door with three women’s faces peeping from behind to a distorted ‘Kumkum Line’ on a woman’s forehead signifying the tragedy of her fate, the graffiti depicted the touching story of these women. Debarjoon Kar, Curator of the graffiti said that the art was made to educate people about the fact that sex workers are mothers and sisters as well. The third eye painted in the artwork showcases their lives and feelings of rejection.
What was your favorite pandal among these? Did you have any other pandal that you wanted to share with the readers? Let us know in the comments below. From all of us here at the Fifth Season family, here’s wishing you a very Happy and Prosperous Pujo.
