Swastika and Sreelekha’s dhunuchi naach at the Uniworld City mandap

Model Apartment Puja (Rs 50,000): Uniworld City

When Sundeep Chowdhury, who lives at Uniworld City in New Town, suddenly fell seriously ill at 11.30pm on Ashtami, the residents immediately contacted the doctor who was on call round-the-clock at the complex for the Puja days. It was this thoughtfulness of the building committee that helped Uniworld City win the crown of Model Puja Apartment for The Telegraph Festival of Joy 2012, presented by Euroclean Vacuum Cleaner from Eureka Forbes. The puja also won a cash kitty of Rs 50,000.

On Navami, Uniworld City was the last stop for judges Sreelekha Mitra and Swastika Mukherjee. With Rabindranath Tagore as the theme, the complex, nestled in acres of greenery, had a separate booth to showcase rare photographs of Bengal’s cultural icon. The stage for cultural programmes had Santiniketan’s Upasana Griha as its backdrop, and saw baul performances during the Pujas.

The judges were happy to see that one wall was dedicated to charts and posters depicting the need for fire safety, the importance of recycling and the rules to be followed during immersion. An ambulance was at hand for emergencies and a doctor was on call through the festive days.

The residents had also invited 40 members of an orphanage to spend a day with them, arranging for raffles and games to collect money for donation, said Alok Kumar, a member of the puja committee.

The judges loved that the residents presented them red-and-gold garlands made from discarded toffee wrappers and served prasad on plates fashioned from banana leaves, made sturdy with old newspapers. The high point for the residents of this Festival of Joy first-timer? Swastika and Sreelekha matching steps with them to the beats of dhaak. Even Pratima Mukherjee, 92, who was using the wheelchair provided by the puja committee to reach the mandap from her building, got up on her feet to dance with Swastika.

“I liked this apartment a lot. They looked proactive about holding a responsible puja while keeping the gharowa feel intact. The Tagore memorial booth was well-done and interesting,” was the word from Swastika, soon after “dancing like crazy!” “I liked the spirit of the residents — warm and friendly. I noticed many of them were not Bengalis, yet they were so much into the puja, which really moved me,” added Sreelekha, who showed off her dhunuchi naach moves to loud applause.

 

The judges posed for many a Facebook-worthy picture at Ashabari Housing Complex. While Swastika looked ravishing in a two-tone woven sari with kantha detailing, a strappy brocade blouse and smoky eyes, Sreelekha stunned with her traditional gear, teaming a classic Kerala white and gold sari with a vibrant red blouse, red batua, jhumkas and gajra.

Four Star Apartment (Rs 5,000): Ashabari Housing Complex

For the fourth stop of the day, the judges headed for Ashabari Housing Complex in Patuli, which participated in the Festival of Joy for the third year on the trot. As with the other places, cellphones and cameras went click-click the moment the pretty ladies got off the car.

The first thing that caught the judges’ eye was the beautifully adorned entrance to the mandap, depicting scenes of Calcutta in sketches (picture right). “Khub sundar,” said

Swastika before engaging in a conversation with K.S. Laha and other puja committee members. “We are very eager and committed towards celebrating a meaningful and a conscientious Puja,” said Laha. Apart from basics like stocking fire extinguishers, having a wheelchair and stretcher available and no-smoking signs displayed prominently, the committee had invited 25 victims of the Aila cyclone of 2009, from the Santoshpur orphanage Mothers Nest Society, for the puja inauguration and cultural programmes on Panchami. They also gifted books and a month’s ration to them. “About 25 per cent of our residentsare retired people. We have a designated spot for senior citizens near the mandap where they can relax and watch the puja in comfort,” pointed out Laha.

Keeping to the theme of “clean and green”, the members ensured that the idol was made of non-toxic materials and paints.

Sreelekha, who was stopped every two steps by eager fans wanting a “Facebook worthy” picture with her, felt the warmth of the people in the complex was very touching. “They were good. They have made an effort to follow all the rules. Everything was well organised.”

“Every resident seems to have contributed in some way, in terms of making an effort to decorate the mandap or sharing prasad from a plate... these things have become rare,” added Swastika.

 

Euroclean and Green Homes (Rs 10,000): Srijan Sonar Gaon

Sreelekha and Swastika were welcomed at their third stop, Srijan Sonar Gaon in Sonarpur, with kumkum tilaks and aarti, followed by a shower of petals. The women of the complex danced to the dhaak in celebration. After a trip to the mandap and an autograph session, the judges got chatting with the residents to understand their commitment to a safe and thoughtful Puja.

Sudeshna Hore, the cultural secretary of the puja committee, said their motto was “Clean up, green up” and given the efforts taken, the judges seemed suitably impressed. The mandap was designated a plastic-free zone and no-smoking signs were put up in every corner. There were waste bins across the premises and a help desk gave out Puja-related and safety information. There was a donation box too, for residents to give away their old clothes that are in good condition, to be sent to Bharat Sevashram Sangha. “We have followed nearly all the norms mentioned in the Festival of Joy criteria list. We will also adhere to all immersion laws to ensure that we do not pollute the water. We have included our young ones and all the families of our complex in the cultural activities,” added Hore.

“I have never hopped from one apartment puja to another. From next year, I’ll include a few apartment pujas on my pandal-hopping list. There’s so much warmth among residents here. Some told me, ‘Didi, apni amader sathe ekdin emni adda marte ashben.’ This whole community feeling and at the same time the emphasis on safety and environmental rules is what makes Festival of Joy so unique,” smiled Sreelekha.

Sreelekha and Swastika at the beautifully decorated mandap at West Wind, Garia

Five Star Apartment (Rs 15,000):West Wind

The judges offered their Navami anjali at the second stop of the day — West Wind in Garia. Sreelekha and Swastika were then taken around the lush greens of the complex. “I love Mirakkel,” gushed a woman, referring to the TV show where Sreelekha was a judge. Others couldn’t get enough of Swastika and insisted she looked even prettier in person. The two lovely ladies smiled and obliged the photograph-autograph hunters, even as they admired the mandap decor.

For when it came to decor, West Wind was no less than the crowd-pulling para pandals, what with lotus blooms made from cloth and handmade banana trees and green leaves. “We had a team of residents that exclusively looked after the

decoration. But we kept to the principles of Festival of Joy and took care not to use any toxic material to do up our pandal,” said Shekhar Aley, a member of the cultural committee.

From a first-aid box to chairs placed for senior citizens and drinking water facility just round the corner, the residents had put civic consciousness on the top of their Puja must-do list. “Every year we organise a blood donation camp and free medical check-up for the domestic helps of our complex. A part of the puja funds is donated to Bharat Sevashram Sangha,” added Aley.

 

The large decorative haatpakha (hand-held fan) caught Swastika’s fancy as she swung into action at Merlin Grove

Five Star Apartment (Rs 15,000):Merlin Grove

The beats of dhaak and the sound of conch shells greeted Swastika at Merlin Grove on Raja Rammohan Roy Road in Behala.

The actress was escorted to the mandap by the women of the complex, who were decked out in traditional jewellery and silk saris. The kids thronged Swastika for autographs and photo-ops, screaming, “Eije Bhooter Bhobishyot-er heroine”! After “Kadalibala” offered flowers to the Goddess, the women got busy offering her nadus made by them. “Tumi Santu Mukherjee-r meye na?” asked a resident. Others told her how much they had loved Bhooter Bhobishyot.

The complex has 78 flats and all the residents are involved in the festivities, they said. While the women have made knick-knacks with scrap materials like broken glass bangles, pencil shavings and sawdust for the pandal decor, the children let loose their creativity in a drawing competition. Their artwork adorned one corner of the mandap.

Merlin Grove also scored on civic consciousness and community participation. “We have arranged for community lunch and dinner on Puja days, all cooked by us, and we are serving food on sal leaves. There’s a van nearby to dispose of used plates. We have made sitting arrangements for the physically challenged and there’s a first-aid box right near the mandap. The residents are involved in rainwater harvesting too,” said the complex’s cultural secretary, Amitava Satra.

“There’s a homely feel here and that made me very nostalgic because when we were kids we lived in a complex in Golf Green. We would take part in all the puja activities. We had so much fun at home that we never missed not going out pandal-hopping. I also liked the spirit of the members of Merlin Grove. Everyone has contributed to the puja in some way,” said Swastika.