Tradition unplugged: The Bagbazar Sarbojanin puja

Sandhya Banerjee,
Salt Lake

The spiritual and the material world converge at the theme pujas. The universal consciousness pervades everything, but for the common people, it is a shock when items that are not traditionally a part of the Puja are used in the invocation of the goddess. Hence, conventional pujas should be encouraged.

Dinabandhu Mukherjee,
Behala

We are reducing Durga puja to gimmickry with unconventional idols and themes. Devotion has very little place in theme pujas. All the effort goes into decorating pandals and arranging for the lights. The only redeeming feature of theme pujas is that they provide employment to thousands. However, we should strive to revive the traditional way of conducting puja.

R.N. De Bhowmik,
PC Lahiri Sarani

Theme pujas are more appealing artistically, but a tradition of hundreds of years cannot be abandoned for their sake. The treatment of Puja as entertainment and the rat race among organisers for various prizes are jarring. The true spirit of the Puja must be revived.

Sukanta pachal,
Howrah

Gaudy adornments attract the crowd much more than simplicity and devotion. The organisers cannot be faulted for adopting unconventional themes because they are only aiming to attract people. It?s also useless to deprecate the creativity of the artisans. We need to look at ourselves for the proliferation of unconventional, as opposed to innovative, themes.

Anil Kumar Sen,
Ram Chandra Chatterjee Lane

Sponsors, prizes and celebrities have taken over the Puja. In the race to bag awards, organisers have trammelled on the puja spirit.

Dalim Kumar Datta,
APC Road

Organisers resort to gimmickry to attract crowds and win awards. Devotion flies out of the window in the process. The money wasted on unconventional idols and themes could be better spent for the benefit of the underprivileged.

Satyen Biswas,
Behala

Certainly not. For some, Ma Durga, in whatever form, is divine; for others she is made of bamboo and clay, no matter how conventionally she is portrayed.

Debasish Chakraborty,
Cossipore

Even the puja pandal should be erected with love and devotion. Organisers, however, are not interested in such things. It is quite natural that they would clamour for awards, reducing a religious occasion to gimmickry.

Abdul Fateh Kamruddin,
Chandbati, Hooghly

Puja organisers are engaged in a game of creative one-upmanship. Sometimes, in the quest for the novel, they are producing the strange. It is quite interesting that only Durga puja inspires unconventional idols, but not Lakshmi or Kali puja. Most people enjoy theme pujas and hence, they should be allowed to continue.

Indranil Sengupta,
Salt Lake

I don?t think the Durga puja is being reduced to mere gimmickry. On the contrary, fresh concepts and ideas are being introduced to the annual event. The festival is thus getting a fillip. Unconventional themes are not necessarily bad. They should be encouraged and appreciated.

Ranadip Das,
Panihati

Many organisers are presenting their pujas in a new way and gauging the reaction of the pandal-hoppers. I don?t think they are reducing the Puja to mere gimmickry. No matter how unconventional the idol and the pandal, the heritage of the Puja will always be there.

Moumita Nandi,
Behala

Theme pujas are undoubtedly praiseworthy from an artistic point of view. However, there is also a tradition that the pujas must live up to. Millions of people only view Durga as a kind mother in a traditional sari and long, black hair. The unconventional idols are beautiful in their own way, but do not evoke the right associations in the minds of the devotees. Anything that comes between the goddess and her children cannot be good.

Sayan Banerjee,
Belgachhia

Unconventional idols and themes enrich the grandeur of the Puja. Free expression of ideas must always be encouraged. Making artists follow the diktats of tradition is an injustice and against the spirit of the festival.

Suparnaa Sinha,
Lansdowne Road

Variety is the spice of life. With unconventional idols and themes, organisers try to incorporate variety in the Puja in whatever way possible. It helps break the monotony and blends art with religion. The artisans also get a platform to showcase their skills. We should all encourage this trend.