The unveiling of the foundation stone of Durga Angan on Monday has not just created a stir in state politics but has also triggered a debate among residents of New Town about the choice of its location.
The temple complex, which will come up on a corner plot on the Major Arterial Road (MAR) in Action Area 1A behind Zero Shop, is spread over 17.28 acres. There is a service road in front, which runs along the MAR and on which two vehicles can pass side by side in either direction. On the right side of the plot is the predominant entry route to AI, AK, AL and CE blocks — Street 24, which is a four-lane road. To its left runs the Bagjola canal with a non-motorable path running by. At the back side, on Street 175, is a four-lane road flanked by NBCC Vibgyor Towers and some houses of CE Block on the opposite pavement.
Bidhannagar Police officials confer about security arrangements with Hidco officials at the Durga Angan site last week ahead of the foundation stone unveiling. Picture by Sudeshna Banerjee
The plan
“Every day, one lakh visitors can come. The total area is two lakh square feet and the courtyard will be such that one thousand people can sit together,” chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced at the programme, adding that this would be the biggest Durga temple in the world.
It will be supported by 1,008 pillars and carved arches will flank the pathway. The sanctum sanctorum will be 54m high. The temple complex will feature 108 idols of gods and goddesses and 64 statues of lions. Separate mandaps will house Shiva, Laxmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh. There will be a kitchen for preparing prasad and a cultural museum.
Several young trees have been felled during the levelling of the land. But more than 300 will be planted too, as will 1,000 flowering plants. “It will be built as a Gold-certified green building (indicating advanced sustainable features and reduced ecological impact compared to conventional buildings). Emphasis will be put on natural light and air. Only 20 per cent will be air-conditioned. The rest will be left open to air,” she said.
“This will be a spiritual and cultural meeting ground that will showcase Bengal’s art and culture and unity in diversity to the world,” the chief minister said. The complex will be built by the same contractors who built Jagannath Dham in Digha.
Mamata Banerjee offers a sari at the Durga Angan foundation stone- laying ceremony in New Town on Monday. Sudeshna Banerjee
The worry
According to the tender floated by Hidco, the project will be two years in the making. While many residents are excited at the prospect of a grand place of worship in the township, its location in a densely populated neighbourhood has furrowed eyebrows. Comments are pouring in as posts in social media group on how Action Area 1, with its empty fields fast being sucked up by the concrete jungle, is the worst choice to build such a massive complex in.
“A very wrong choice of place. A residential and an office area cannot be made into a tourist spot…” said Gargi Sanyal in the Facebook page of New Town Forum & News. “Je shantir khoje New Town esechhilam sobai seta already sesh. Ei mandir hobar por dekhchhi berote parbo na…,” wrote Ahana Dasgupta. They are among the hundreds who are venting their anxiety and displeasure online, ever since the location was finalised.
Quote me not
When spoken to in person, though, most residents are wary of being quoted, fearing repercussions. “The government has built next to nothing for community use in Action Area III, which has acres lying fallow. Why could the temple not be located there?” wondered a resident of CB Block.
“There will be traffic mayhem as the New Town bus stand and the Novotel crossings already get choked during office hours. Our daily commute time is increasing due to long waits at the traffic signals. The Nazrul Tirtha Metro station too will soon open, drawing more footfall to the point,” a resident of AL Block pointed out.
The backside of the temple plot facing CE Block. Picture by Srijita Talukdar
“There is likely to be regular VIP arrivals to such a spot. What happens to us then?” said an AK Block resident, recalling the heavy police deployment and curbs imposed in the area on the day of the inauguration.
Residents are already considering other options during the time periods when their key exit would be blocked to commoners. “Those living on the other side of Narkelbagan in Action Area II or III have ample exits to the airport through Rajarhat, VIP Road or Baguiati. For us, the Technopolis side is the only choice. Reaching Sector V is difficult from the Lohapool side as the route runs almost through courtyards of private residences. The drivers of the buses on 12C/2 route are extremely skilful to be able to manoeuvre their vehicles in case one faces the other,” said Animesh Kumar Paul, a former secretary of the AK Block residents’ body. “If a lakh descend on the temple, we will be forced to use the Thakdari road to move out. Guesthouses would mushroom. And for the next few months, we will be subject to dust and noise pollution with the contractor sure to set up a stone-cutting unit on the premise,” said Avik Sinha Roy, who is on the board of directors at NBCC Vibgyor Towers in CE Block.
The housing complex has its only gate for vehicles facing the back of the temple plot. While residents are happy with a place to visit, the anxiety over their access will be a point of discussion at their next meeting. “It will be difficult to plan a second gate for cars if we are unable to move in and out freely. Parking for the temple should be done completely inside the compound and not allowed randomly on the streets,” said another committee member on condition of anonymity.
The other point of criticism is the continued apathy to long-standing demands like government school and hospital. “I am not saying the same plot should have been used for a hospital instead of the temple but we do need affordable healthcare. People have died of heart attacks while being taken to Salt Lake. We hope Hidco takes cognizance of such a genuine need,” said Alok Das, a resident of CE Block.
Paul advocates for an NKDA market for residents staying on the side of the MAR where Durga Angan is coming up. “We need a bazaar on the lines of the NKDA market opposite Greenwood Park on the other side. Aahirini market in AI Block has no fruits and vegetables or meat and fish. Neither does Axis Mall,” he said.
The New Town Citizens’ Welfare Fraternity is planning a signature campaign seeking a shift in the temple’s location from Action Area I. “The roads are already bursting at office time while the population is still barely 50 per cent in our block,” said Samir Saha, secretary of the forum.
He wondered what would happen once New Town got fully populated. “Why is a temple footfall getting foisted on us?” Saha wondered.
The Durga Angan crossing in front of Zero Shop. Picture by Srijita Talukdar
Policing pain
The lawkeepers, who are in charge of traffic, are also keeping their fingers crossed. None of the mid-level cops The Telegraph Salt Lake were aware which side the main gate of the temple would be on. Even police commissioner Mukesh lobbed the ball in the court of Hidco, which is in charge of the construction, when asked about the layout during the security inspection before the chief minister’s visit.
“Forget the dalawalas (selling puja ware), think of the beggars who will descend on New Town as soon as the devotees start coming,” a cop was heard telling a colleague. Another hoped that the entry to the parking lot would be built on Street 175 (the backside) and not the service road in front.
“We are already facing traffic pressure with the approach to the box bridge being narrow and work on Metro Railway underway. The Calcutta RTO (Regional Transport Office) is reporting a yearly rise of 18 to 20 per cent cars but there is no increase in road space. And in New Town, almost everyone owns a car or two. Markets are not close, so people have to drive out on every errand,” a senior officer said.
Axis Mall, he added, is already facing an overflow. “The cars of visitors spill over to the adjacent block. A normal tourist spot fetches one-time visitors but people may come to a temple repeatedly. The temple would need a parking lot for at least 1,500 to 2,000 cars,” he said.
He suggested building a traffic underpass or a flyover at the New Town bus stand. “Otherwise, there will be so many cars queuing up to turn right at the traffic light that vehicular flow on the MAR would have to be frequently halted.” Hidco officials were unavailable for comment.
Silver lining
Some residents, like Sinha Roy, are also counting the positive upshots. “If they build gates on all four sides, the visitor load would get distributed. And with the state’s prestige at stake internationally, I am sure the government would get rid of the pavement food stalls which have mushroomed along the plot,” the resident of NBCC Vibgyor Towers said. The shanties were removed for the chief minister’s visit but returned on Wednesday.
Sinha Roy also listed out the flurry of activities that the area saw in the run-up to the inauguration. “The streetlights on Street 175, which were not functioning for a long time, were repaired overnight. The canal next door was cleaned. The divider on Street 24, which had been partly damaged, was repaired and had lovely flowering plants. Imagine if we receive such treatment round the year!” he smiled.