Stronger budgets encourage innovative themes

As millions of happy feet walk the streets of the city of joy, hopping Puja Pandals, the skyline of Kolkata is filled with various themes resplendent of goddess Durga's arrival.

In the last few years, as Puja budget and sponsorships have skyrocketed, creative minds have scaled greater heights crafting a live experience of themes as wide ranging as paddy saplings to German village.

With intricate worksmaship and months of labour, the results are finally out to enthrall the visitors. We slot four most talked about pandals this year.

Retreat to the greens
As cities have turned into concrete jungles, this Puja takes its visitors back to the paddy fields and greenery of rural India.For its 65 th year celebrations, Agradut Udaya Sangha, at Bhowanipore, has crafted the entrance in the form of a house with paddy saplings and the walls adorn paintings made of cane and husk.

“The entire pandal is made up of paddy saplings sown on the site three months back,” says Sudip Sarkar, treasurer of the committee.

Pintu Mitra, a skilled craftsman from Nadia has brought with him another 30 karigar or workers to complete this task. Being associated with sports minister, Madan Mitra, has come handy. The lush greenery has pinched the committee's pocket by Rs 20 lakh. There is a surprise element in the idol too.

The Durga, here, is seen travelling on a horse as opposed to her usual 'Bahan' or carrier, a Lion.

Impact of Global Warming in the snow valley, Kashmir
As deforestation, war, and global warming continue its spell in the snow valley, the melting ice is impacting the seasons in the country.

Suruchi Sangha, a club headed by Trinamool Congress leader Arup Biswas, has recreated the ethnic Kashmiri work which includes a huge wooden fire place, old and new log houses and shikara. Alankari and Kalamkari work adorn the interiors of the pandal. The entry gate is a replica of independent India's last king of Kashmir, Hari Singh's palace.

Debashish Das, secretary of the club says, “We have brought in 25 people from Kashmir to work on the interiors headed by Abdul Gani Wyani and started work from June 15. The entire pandal is painted with vegetable colours with the idol coloured in apricot colours. The pandal las year clocked in 4.7 million visitors last year and the organisors are hoping to break that record.

Mythical bird
A creation of artist Bhabatosh Sutar, the mythical bird is the metaphor for people to put on wings and fly. With 100 cft mahogany, pine, shalkath and other premium woods forming the outer structure and metals in the interiors, this year, Naktala Udayan Sangha has leaped into the bigger league of theme Pujas. The Pandal boasts of 550 kg brass idol.

A club member says, “The total weight of the idol is 1500 kg and after the Puja we would like to preserve it. The dome of the structure is made with brass washers welded together in a clay structure and the craftsmen's chisel is also a part of the interior decoration in the Pandal.

German town Rhedyt housing 'Sabeki' or Traditional Durga idol
As India celebrates sixty years of Indo-German relationship, Ekdalia Evergreen Club with German architect Gregor Schneider have recreated Schneider's home town Rhedyt, with the concept of “home within home”.

Subrata Mukherjee, minister for public health engineering and the man behind this Puja, says, “We never make theme Pujas but this year people from Max Mueller Bhavan wanted to be a part of this puja. The architect had sent his model to us and the exteriors of the Pandal has been modelled according to his design.Since last two weeks Schneider is here over looking everything. Also 50 artists from Germany will be here during the festival and then the Pandal will be taken to Germany for display”.

The Pandal pegged at Rs 50 lakhs is a new twist in the story of the "evergree" club and its protagonist.