Raima Sen, one the True Spirit judges, at Tridhara Sammilani on Ashtami morning. Later in the day, this was crowned the Model Puja. Picture by Pabitra Das

History does not count if the heart is in the right place. Passion matters more than past record. That was the message at the end of the sixth edition of CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja with two of the six finalists being new to this festive award fold.

From the 255 pujas in contention, a handful were shortlisted over Sashthi and Saptami for helping to make this a safer, happier and more meaningful festival.

Tridhara Sammilani at the Rashbehari Avenue-Manoharpukur Road crossing, which has kept a low profile through 62 years of its existence, won the Model Puja crown that comes with a cheque for Rs 50,000.

The decision was reached after a daylong trip by a high-profile panel of judges on Ashtami .

“This puja has a soul. It is more homely than the other fancy pandals,” summed up Beth A. Payne, the US consul-general in Calcutta, after stepping out of the structure modelled on the rosewood Padmanavapuram palace in Kanyakumari.

The spirit of “festival for all” tilted the scales for Tridhara Sammilani. “There are many south Indian families in our locality who would feel left out. We wanted to involve them too,” said Debashish Kumar, the puja’s general secretary.

Tridhara Sammilani also scored in assistant commissioner of police Ranjit Pachnanda’s book. “With so much space all around, evacuation would be easy here in an emergency,” he observed.

Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durgapuja Committee maintained its True Spirit track record of being a finalist in every edition. This year the puja with Lord Rama’s akalbodhan as theme, was given Five Star status — and Rs 25,000 — along with Kalitala Sporting Club off the EM Bypass.

“Incredible craftsmanship,” exclaimed actresses Raima Sen and Jaya Seal Ghosh, staring at the lifesize figures of Rama, Durga and Ravana created with iron mesh at the Maniktala puja.

The True Spirit touches? Closed-circuit cameras, medical booth, volunteers galore to guide the crowd and a giant bell to use as alarm.

Kalitala Sporting Club, not on the conventional pandal-hopper’s route, has made an extra effort for visitor comfort. “It has easy access for a wheelchair,” said Les Dangerfield, the deputy director of British Council Division, at the high commission.

Behala Nutan Dal: Four Star

“We do not have the cash or clout of the big pujas. This is the first year that we got a sponsor. But we make up for that with our own hard work,” said Prabir Das, the executive president of the puja with a budget of Rs 5 lakh. That did not stop them from distributing clothes among 140 people on Puja-eve. “We will use the True Spirit prize money to provide medical insurance for the underprivileged who are a part of our puja,” added Das.

The Four Star status was shared by Behala Nutan Dal, 41 Pally Sarbojanin Durgotsav in Haridevpur and Naktala Udayan Sangha, which get Rs 20,000 each.

At the end of the day, the winner was the True Spirit movement. “This award highlights the right aspects and making Puja tourist-friendly,” said T.V.N. Rao, the managing director of the state tourism development corporation.

As Dilip Samajpati of CESC summed up: “Awareness has really increased. The pujas are doing even more than what we had started out asking for six years ago.”

Model Puja

Tridhara Sammilani

five star

Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durgapuja Committee
Kalitala Sporting Club

four star

Behala Nutan Dal
41 Pally Sarbojanin Durgotsav
Naktala Udayan Sangha