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Jeffrey K. Reneau, director, American Center, keys in his experience as a CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja judge on Saptami.
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Jeffrey K. Reneau plays the dhak at the 41 Pally puja on Saptami. Picture by Pabitra Das
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Bouncing along Calcutta highways and byways I spent Sunday morning and the better part of the afternoon visiting five pandals with fellow judges. This was my first Durga Puja and I wasn’t sure what to expect. The nearest comparison I had was an ice sculpture competition in St. Paul, Minnesota, which I always enjoyed. On a frosty January eve, families set out in heavy winter coats, armed with hot chocolate, to see sparkling art in ice. For pandal judging, a light kurta replaced the winter coat and a chilled Diet Coke and bag of Kurkure took the place of hot chocolate. I was ready for adventure.
The first pandal, Suruchi Sangha in New Alipore, dazzled me. It was a collection of sea-based structures in shells and coconuts with an important message on water ecology conservation. Goddess Durga, who stood like Venus in a shell, watched magnanimously over crowds of pandal-hoppers. Judges couldn't resist dancing to the beat of drums and gasping at the intricate sand sculptures. At the next pandal, Behala Club Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee, there were a series of bamboo structures, including a bamboo rainbow that offered a warm welcome. Sustainability was the clear priority. There was a magical wonderland of snakes, ladders, marbles and dolls at 41 Pally Club in Haridevpur. Durga and her entourage offered protection from inside the belly of a giant die. Like pieces of a game board, we hopped through the pandal and banged on a few more drums before boarding the bus. If life was a game, this pandal showed that it takes both fate and Durga to win.
My “Puja novice” status was quickly fading. Fellow judges offered detailed explanations of Durga while stuck in traffic and my eyes were opening to this exciting holiday with each bang on a Bengali drum and pandal-inspired dance moves. I was really getting into this!
Tempting fate and battling traffic, we honked our way to Tangra Gholpara Sarbojanin — a round pandal ornamented in metal coils. Floating above a pool of water, Durga lorded over admirers from inside the curled repose of a huge snake. Maybe it was the sunlight reflecting off the water onto the gods, but this pandal whispered of the mystical elements of the occasion. I realised that there were still quite a few things for me to learn about Durga. Maniktala C.I.T Pally Scheme VI (M) Durgotsav was our final stop. Coloured cloth stretched carefully over a bamboo frame, creating a more traditional home for Durga. The clean simplicity of the construction reinforced that everyone was welcome. The organiser’s focus on social causes was truly inspirational. This pandal made it clear that tradition should include everyone — and everyone was included here.
I tallied the results on the way home and thought about what I’d seen. According to the rules, it wasn’t about the flashiest pandals (even though they were impressive). We were tasked to focus on those that facilitated a meaningful, safe and socially-conscious experience. I watched the city pass by in the window. I thought about the ice sculpture competition. Hot chocolate and fried donut stands lined the road. Families dressed in puffy winter jackets queued to see the best sculptures. Though the air was icy, spirits were warm. For a minute I missed home. But out the bus window families were queuing for pandals, smiling and chatting as they waited. Food stalls lined the road. The community was coming together to celebrate something bigger, more meaningful and shared. A spirit that unites us as people, whether it is sculptures of ice or the incredible return of Durga.
My bag of Kurkure was gone (half eaten by a neighbouring judge), and I’d long since finished off the Diet Coke. I settled into my seat to absorb my experience of pandal-hopping. I couldn’t help but smile as the horns honked all around me and the bus lurched along in thick traffic. I’d found something I recognised from home in Calcutta during Durga Puja — the good that unites us all. The True Spirit of Puja.
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