(From top) Guests on the dance floor at Festa Italiana in Little Italy; DJ Andrea Vigna and VJ Roberto Dal Bosco at the same do. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

Aesthetic pandals and elaborate theme lighting that you feasted your eyes on, stories in the pujo sankha that you enjoyed breezing through? All this and more that made Puja 2005 so memorable.

Sunday evening saw some of the creative forces behind the festivities being felicitated with certificates, trophies and prize money at the Dettol Anandabazar Patrika Sharod Arghya 2005.

The evening at Gorky Sadan, compered by television personality Raya Bhattacharya, started with an audio-visual round showcasing Durga Puja 2005 ? the idols, the pandals and the evaluation. Celebrity judges for the event were Indrani Halder, Suchitra Bhattacharya, Parambrata Chatterjee, Gargi Roychowdhury, Isha Mohammed, Subroto Gangopadhay, Locket Chatterjee, Badal Basu, Ramapada Chowdhury, Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay and Haimanti Shukla.

In the Calcutta category, 66 Palli Sarbojanin Durgotsav did a hat-trick ? UCO Bank Shrestho Pujo, ING Vysya Bank Shrestho Pratima and Ultratech Shrestho Mandapsajja. Dum Dum Park Tarun Sanghya won the Havell’s Shrestho Aloksajja prize. The Shrestho Pujo carried Rs 75,000 as prize money, while the other categories were worth Rs 20,000 each.

In the Howrah section, it was Kamardanga Sitalatala Barowari Pujo that bagged the UCO Bank Shrestho Pujo and ING Vysya Bank Shrestho Pratima awards. The Havell’s Shrestho Aloksajja and Ultratech Shrestho Mandapsajja went to Arupara Sarbojanin Durgotsav. While the Shrestho Pujo on this side of the river carried a reward of Rs 25,000, the other categories had a prize money of Rs 10,000 each.

For the Town awards, Central Colony Durga Puja and Rathkhola Sporting Club were honoured with the Siliguri BSNL Shrestho Pujo award for coming in first and second, respectively. Marconi Dakshinpalli, Durgapur, and Asansol Rabindranagar Unnayan Samiti were the top two for the Durgapur-Asansol BSNL Shrestho Pujo. In Kharagpur-Midnapore it was Bidhannagar Sarbojanin Durgotsav, Midnapore, and Rangamati Sarbojanin Durgotsav, Midnapore, who bagged both the prizes.

More prizes were showered on Puja literature. If the JIS group Shrestho Chhoto Golpo was won by Indramitra for Briddhashrom, JIS Group Shrestho Upanyash went to Abhijit Tarafdar for Choturtho Hridoy, JIS Group Probondho was won by Nrisinha Prasad Bhaduri for Pandit Murkho and JIS Group Shrestho Cassette by the band Eklavya for Paye Paye Santiniketan. They were awarded prize money of Rs 10,000 each.

The prize distribution ceremony was livened up by a performance by Indranil Sen, who belted out songs like Bhalobasha aaj dilam tomaye chhuti, Hote pare mon baul batash, Ke amare ki je bole, Aami saat shokale tomaye khunji re and age-old favourites like Dhitang dhitang bole and Ke tumi nandini.

Krosswindz later took the stage with popular numbers like Aami gayi ghore pherar gaan and Aashaye aashaye boshe achhi.

Winners of Dettol Anandabazar Patrika Sharod Arghya collect their prizes at Gorky Sadan; shoppers at the new Raymond Shop at Bidhan Sarani. Pictures by Amit Datta and Rashbehari Das

Italy flavour

Calcuttans have yet another restaurant-cum-lounge bar to go to ? Little Italy, on the 8th floor of 6, Camac Street. The all-vegetarian eatery opened its doors on Tuesday night in some style. The inaugural party, coinciding with Festa Italiana 2005 organised by the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with the Consulate General of Italy, was a memorable Italian musical night.

Guests of the evening, which mostly included members of the Italian embassy led by consul-general Agostino Pinna, moved to the lilting melodies of the 1970s belted out by Italian DJ Andrea Vigna.

The backdrop was provided by a giant screen showcasing Renaissance architecture of Italy. “Keeping in mind the quality of the target audience and to create an ambience of perfect relaxation, we decided to play softer numbers, unlike other places,” said DJ Andrea, flown down specially from Italy for the night, along with VJ Roberto Dal Bosco.

Said Amit Kajaria, director of Little Italy: “We decided to be different from the rest of the eateries and lounge bars in town. Hence the concept of an all-vegetarian place. And going by the fact that people in Calcutta have become so health conscious, they should love it. Besides, we want more of the elite crowd of Calcutta than party-hopping youngsters.”

The dimly-lit d?cor is soothing to the eye, suitable for lounging around after a hard day at work. “People can chill out in a relaxed ambience here. Our music will also be soft, numbers that ‘older’ people will be able to relate to,” added Amit.

Zarin Chaudhuri conducts the Umi Mo wellness workshop at ITC Sonar Bangla. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Wellness line

Beauty is much more than skin deep; in fact, it reaches down to the intestines. This was the message at a product launch with a difference last week.

Natural food supplements with no side effects and a series of holistic programmes for healthcare and wellness are what the newly launched Nikken Sohonsha range of products and Umi Mo Wellness workshops are all about. The range was unveiled, for the first time in India, at the ITC Sonar Bangla Sheraton & Towers by Wonder Care Pvt Ltd last week.

“The micro-algae-based food supplements from Nikken Sohonsha, a Japanese firm, has been introduced after 25 years of research. These contribute to a healthy body and mind, the key to a healthy society,” said co-founder of Wonder Care, Sujata Saraf.

The launch was accompanied by an informative audio-visual presentation by theatre personality Zarin Chaudhuri, throwing light on how micro-algae, the first chlorophyll-containing organism with the ability to photosynthesise, are almost as old as the world itself. It also enlightened the audience on micro-algae like Dunaliella Bardawill that is rich in beta-carotene, making it a good antioxidant to fight toxins, and Chlorella polysaccharide, helpful for the intestine, enhancing immunity of body cells.

Information on species like Mondus Subterraneus that is rich in eicosapentaenoic acid preventing heart diseases and Isochrysis Galbana, rich in docosahexaenoic acid that helps build brain nerves figured in the session.

The Secret of Staying Young, Creative Ways to Health and The Body Successful are a set of three Umi Mo interactive wellness workshops. “These workshops are not substitutes for medical treatment but a complementary process for keeping that inner youthfulness alive,” smiled Zarin, the lady behind these workshops.

Shop stop

Here’s a bit of fashion news for stylish men. The 13th Raymond showroom of the city was thrown open at 124B, Bidhan Sarani on Monday. Inaugurated by actress June, the sprawling 4,200 sq-ft store offers a wide assortment of Raymond suiting and shirting options.

Ready-to-wear garments, blankets, jackets, winter wear of popular brands like Parx and Park Avenue, belts, wallets, cufflinks, ties, toiletries and a host of other accessories fill up the racks.

“We believe in reaching out to our customers, making the shopping experience for the male fraternity in this part of the city worthwhile. The idea is to cater to the tastes and budget of all,” said S.M. Pokarna, vice-president, Raymond.