Fighting Dengue theme of a Durga Puja Committee

A North Kolkata Durga Puja committee has created a giant mosquito at the entrance of the pandal to create awareness about Dengue.

Fighting Dengue is the theme of 'Baghbazar Palli Pujo O Prodorshoni's' Durga Puja in Rajballabh para area of the city this year, the organisers said.

The giant mosquito, made of thermocol, about 10-feet in size, has been mounted on a container which is partly filled with water and has been kept in the courtyard of the puja pandal that resembles a British-era building.

Worn-out tyres, coconut shells have been placed at various places across the place.

"In our puja the Goddess is slaying the demon of Masa-asur (the mosquito demon)," a spokesman of Baghbazar Palli Pujo O Prodorshoni puja committee.

As part of the campaign to fight dengue, the puja committee has also put up posters and colour charts to educate people how a Dengue larva is born in accumulated fresh water and ways to cure the disease once someone is infected with dengue, the spokesperson said.

"We have decided to spread awareness about raising awareness about dengue and hence made Mosquito, which is the carrier of Dengue virus, as the real demon," the spokesperson said.

He said instead of traditional weapons "we have placed a broom, a bat and mosquito repellents (spray) as weapons in the ten hands of the goddess 'Durga'.

However, the puja committee has also placed a smaller idol of goddess 'Durga' which has all the traditional weapons of the goddess.

Artisan Mintu Pal, who conceived and executed the entire theme, said, "A Durga Puja pandal, visited by lakhs of people, can be an ideal medium to create awareness about dengue.

Mayor-in-Council Atin Ghosh said, "The Puja committee organisers have done a commendable job by spreading awareness about Dengue. The Kolkata Muncipal Corporation will always support such initiatives.