Sonajhuri Haat, the pop-up market under the Axis Mall flyover, has supplied materials to several pandals.
"We had reached out to theme-makers, positioning this as a puja samogrir haat. Rural Bengal is a popular theme for Durga puja and our artists specialise in traditional handicrafts from various corners of the state. Puja organisers are known to travel to remote corners in search of items for pandal décor. It would save them the journey if they source things from here," said Rajarshi Das of Creative Bengal Foundation, who has brought craftspeople from 19 districts together and given them the platform in New Town.
The weekend haat, which started on June 3 with 25 stalls, has been given an extension till December 31. From last weekend, it has also spread out to the other side of the Community Zone across the carriageway under the flyover, allowing close to 100 artisans to sell their ware.
Subal Pal, who is in charge of the Kumartuli Sarbojanin pandal, has commissioned five patachitra artists from East and West Midnapore. He has also picked up South Dinajpur masks and West Midnapore mats. Orders for sari and panjabi uniforms for club members have also been placed with artists here. Khukurani Chabri Chitrakar has also recorded the puja's theme song.
The dolls that would adorn the Taltola Sarbojanin pandal in Lenin Sarani are coming from here. This includes wooden dolls from Notungram, Burdwan and clay dolls from Krishnanagore. Craftspeople from Murshidabad and Birbhum will set up stall at the pandal from Mahalaya.
Orders also came from a club in Kestopur for saris for members, from a housing society in New Town for patachitra and a Kali puja in Kalindi.
Sonajhuri Haat will be on during Puja at AB Block in Salt Lake and BC Block in New Town.
