Work on at the Bandhab Sammilani pandal. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Bandhab Sammilani of Maharaja Tagore Road, in Dhakuria, holds its Durga puja not only to impress pandal-hoppers but also to extend a helping hand to those in need. This year’s puja will be no different.

The pandal will be done up with multi-hued sticks from Puri, known as Purir lathi. Even the entrance will sport these samples of Odissi art.

“Artist Swapan Pal conceived the decoration idea. We have got 50,000 sticks from Puri,” said secretary of the puja committee Debnath Chatterjee.

This will be the 49th edition of the puja, which was decorated with kantha stitch designs depicting the story of Jasimuddin’s poem Nakshi Kanthar Math last year.

“Besides trying to attract visitors to our puja, we make it a point to stand by those who need help. We are planning to help the artists who have come from Puri. All of them are poor. We will also make an effort to help underprivileged but meritorious students in the locality,” said Kutty Brahma, a member of the club.

Under Pal’s supervision, the artists from Orissa are working round the clock to complete the pandal decoration. The artists who have come down from Puri include Purna Chandra Mahapatra, Sib Prasad Sabut and Hemanta Jena.

“The colourful sticks will lend a bright look to the pandal. It will, hopefully, attract more visitors than the past few years and they will appreciate our efforts. The paintings on the pandal walls will reflect Narayaner Ananta Sajya, Raslila, Shiv-Parvati and Ardhanariswar,” said Mahapatra, who builds Subhadra’s rath for the Puri rathayatra. He is also a renowned exponent of sand art.

According to Apurba Banerjee of the club’s puja committee, the sticks were bought from poor farmers in Talcher, Orissa, for Rs 7 each. “We will sell the sticks after the Puja and donate the proceeds to the artisans and poor students,” he added.