There are
literally thousands of Kolkata Durga Puja pandals but some stand out more than
others, as a result of their enchanting decorations. Every year they contend to
surpass each other with the most intricate and innovative themes. Durga Puja
which is a principal festival during Navratri is celebrated with much gaiety
and devotion in the city through public ceremonies. It is during this fine
occasion, huge Pandals are erected at various places of the city for housing
large idols of Maa Durga. The devotees turn up in large numbers to worship
Goddess Durga. This year at over 550 places 'Maa Ka Darbar' would be set up at
different places in the city.
Durga
Puja festival marks the triumph of Goddess Durga over the evil buffalo demon
Mahishasura. Thus, Durga Puja festival exemplifies the victory of Good over
Evil. It is not only the biggest Hindu festival celebrated throughout the
state, it is also the most significant socio-cultural event in Bengali Hindu
society. The prominence of Durga Puja amplified gradually during the British
Raj in Bengal. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the tradition of
Baroyari or Community Puja was popularised due to this. In Bengal, Durga Puja
is also known Akalbodhan, Sharadiya Pujo,
Sharadotsav or Maha Pujo. Today's
Puja, however, goes far beyond religion. The music, dancing, and art displayed
and performed during the Durga puja played an integral part in connecting the
community in Bengal, and eventually across India and the world today. Initially the Puja was organised by
affluent families since they had the money to organise the festival. Pujas in
Calcutta and elsewhere experiment with ground-breaking concepts every year.
Communities have created prizes for Best Pandal, Best Puja, and other
categories. Pandals and idols inspired by a particular theme have been the
hallmark of many community or Sarbajanin Pujas in Kolkata since the 1990s. Puja
committees decide on a particular theme, whose elements are incorporated into
the pandal and the idols. The design and decoration is usually done by art and
architecture students based in the city. The budget required for such
theme-based pujas is often higher than traditional pujas. They attract crowds
and are well received.
This year Durga Puja in Kolkata is
ready to disseminate the much more creativity, decoration, added services,
cultural messages and many more extravagant things among the populace.
Geographical area of Durga Puja is basically categorized into North Kolkata,
South Kolkata and Saltlake area. Some of the famous pujas of North Kolkata are Telengabagan,
Sreebhumi, Kumartoli, Laketown Notun Polli Pradip Sangha, College Square,
Chaltabagan, Sealdah Athletic Club, Santosh Mitra Sqaure etc. In South Kolkata,
the famous are Mudiali, Kasba Bosepukur, Dhakuria Babubagan, Ekdalia Evergreen
Club, Park Circus Athletic Club, Maddox Square etc. And in Saltlake, FD Block
Durga Puja is the most popular among all. All the above mentioned venues will
showcase their pandals and idols in a distinctive way.
Now we shall lob light on the themes
of Durga Puja 2013 in a transitory manner and of course herein we will mention
only few themes which are definitely pulsating in the minds of the people. This
year Kankurgachi, Bagha Jatin Club will decorate Debi Durga with ancient arms
of India and thereby the members are entrusted with the responsibility to
collect those arms. And Naktala Udayan Sangha will create their goddess with
various stones. Installation and fresco artist Jean-Xavier Renaud, who lives
and works in Hauteville, France, will join forces with local artist Gopal
Poddar to create the pandal and idol for the Pallimangal SamityDurga Puja on
the ground adjoining EDF in south Kolkata's Jodhpur Park locality. , it is
Alliance Francaise du Bengale that is driving this year's project. Alliance
Francaise will fund the Rs. 40 lakhs project. The theme of the Pallimangal
Samity puja is tentatively titled 'Cannes to Kolkata' celebrates the centenary
year of Indian cinema. Three Pakistani artists Haidar Ali, Mumtaz Ahmed &
Md. Iqbal will decorate the Hatibagan Nabinpalli pandal with their exclusive
'truck art' this Puja. Truck art is a Peshawari art form of Pakistan where stunning
landscapes, colorful floral patterns, portraits of national heroes, famous
actors of Pakistan and India, calligraphic poetry and religious stanzas are
painted on trucks, which take goods from one city to another.
Lake Town's Sree Bhumi
Sporting Club is poised to explode this Durga Puja as revelers queue up to view
the biggest-ever public exhibition of gold ornaments. The pandal will transform
into an exhibition hall with gods and goddesses sporting jewellery worth Rs. 4 crores
and these gold ornaments will be sponsored by Tanishq (Tata group). The puja pandal will also be golden, a replica of the
Shwedagon Pagoda and stupa in Yangon.
Furthermore, we will come up with
more stirring stuffs of Durga Puja 2013 in this blog. So we expect and wishing
you all prosperous Durga Puja this year.
