The cream of the township’s literary talent headed to City Centre last Friday to receive awards for The Telegraph Salt Lake Super Souvenir 2015 contest.  

The contest, in its 11th year now, awards the souvenirs that blocks and housing complexes of Salt Lake and New Town release for Durga puja. Winners of the Click Your Township contest, in which residents capture images of the neighbourhood, were also awarded. 

The ceremony took place in the Royal Bengal Room. While the winners thanked The Telegraph Salt Lake (TTSL) for the prizes, vice-president, The Telegraph, Dhruba Mukherjee turned the tables. “When we started this contest 11 years ago we hadn’t thought it would grow this big. Thank you for your overwhelming participation. We shall continue to introduce new categories and like Durga puja, The Telegraph Salt Lake Super Souvenir-o ashche bochhor abar hobe,” he smiled. 

The new category announced for this year’s contest, on the basis of a request from a member of Salt Lake FE Block Residents’ Association, was one for the junior-most contributors to block souvenirs. So buck up, kids!

Best Cover: 

Winner: Banga Sourav Abasan, ED Block 

“Thank you TTSL for this recognition,” said Suman Roy, the resident who had designed the cover. “The winning image used geometric patters in the Penrose style and chose colours traditionally used to depict Durga and Asura as we all have a Durga and an Asura within us.” 

Special mention: East Enclave Residents’ Welfare Association 

“The central image on our cover was a patachitra, created by artist Anwar Chitrakar. The same has been used at Mumbai airport. We had taken his permission to use the image and we thank him for it,” said editor Subhranshu Sekhar Manna on behalf of the team.  

Special mention: Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee, BE (West)

Block secretary Partha Mitra kept it short and sweet. “Thank you for this recognition, TTSL,” he said. 

 

Best editorial: 

Winner: The late Asim Sanyal of FE Block (in last year’s file picture)

“I guess this award means I must once again pick up my pen,” Sanyal had said on receiving an award last year. His article won again, even though he passed away a few months ago. Neighbours received the award on his behalf.

Special mention: Arun Kumar Roy of BL Block

“Through these awards, TTSL constantly tries to raise the standard of our souvenirs,” said Roy. “They motivate us to write better.”

Special mention: Chandana Gupta of DA Block 

“It is through this contest that we find out about the rich literary talent of the twin townships. In my editorial, I had written about the decay in society and once again I pray to the goddess to come and rescue us.”

 

Best fiction:

Winner: Rajoshi Gupta, Sanjeeva Town The Bungalow Estate, New Town for A Negative

Gupta read out a poem, highlighting how TTSL encourages one to pick up the pen. (See below)

Special mention: Kumkum Chattopadhyay, East Enclave, New Town for Labonye Purno Pran

“I have won this award several times before and I thank TTSL for this encouragement,” said Chattopadhyay. 

Special mention: Susmita Ray, East Enclave, New Town for Soul Mates

“When my name would be announced I shall be on an aeroplane flying out of the city,” said Ray, who came to The Telegraph office a day before the ceremony. “I’m going to the US to settle my daughter in college and my flight would take off while the ceremony would be on. This was the first time my neighbours had asked me to write for the souvenir and I’m excited that it has won a prize. In fact I’m almost hoping they ask me to write again!”

 

Best non-fiction:

 

Winner: Manjula Banerjee of BE (West) for Bepin Pal Road 

 

“This December I will be 80. For 37 years now, I am settled in England. But for the last 10-12 years, I have been flying back for the Pujas. I started contributing to the block souvenir  about six years ago. Thanks to The Telegraph Salt Lake for this recognition. I am waiting to get the trophy in hand once I reach on September 23,” she said over phone.

 

 

 

 

 

Special mention: Jharna Gourlay of Banga Sourav Abasan, ED Block

“Receiving an award for a minor contribution in the souvenir when I am in my 80s is just as thrilling as receiving a prize in school when I was little,” Gourlay emailed TTSL from London, where she lives. “I have been the editor of a literary journal and still write books and articles.”

 

 

Early Bird: 

Winner: BL Block Committee

“I thank our contributors and advertisers for handing in everything on time. It is for them that we are able to complete our souvenir so quickly,” said block president Somdeb Majumdar. 

 

Best poetry:

Winner: Sarbani Bandyopadhyay East Enclave Residents Welfare Association for Chitraja

“I’m very happy to receive this award. My poem was about people being so busy capturing moments on camera that they lose out on relishing the moment they’re living in,” said Bandyopadhyay. “It asked the reader to make a picture of their memories instead.”

Special mention: Sibani Moulik of CB Block for Rani Ar Ghore Phirbe Na

Moulik is out of the country and could not be contacted. A neighbour received the award on her behalf. 

 

The Telegraph Salt Lake Super  Souvenir 2015

Winner: FE Block 

“We dedicate this award to Asim Sanyal, the editor of the souvenir, who passed away a while back,” said block secretary Kalyan Mukherjee. 

 

Joint convenor of the souvenir committee Debraj Sengupta recalled how Sanyal would guide the team towards making the souvenir not just a souvenir but a puja barshiki  and Pratima Mishra, the other joint convenor, said the souvenir was a sort for prasad for the people after the puja. 

 

Youngest guests

Meghnaa Gupta, 8 years old 

“I loved the party, especially the food. My favourite was the fish fry but I couldn’t eat more than one,” said Meghnaa, daughter of Click Your Township winner Devarupa Gupta. 

Elahe Gupta, 8 years old 

“Last year my mother had won three prizes in this contest so I had divided them between her, my father and me. This time I’m disappointed as she has won only one prize,” cribbed Elahe, daughter of Rajoshi Gupta, the winner of the Best Fiction award.

 

 Click Your Township: 

Abir Chatterjee, FD Block 

While Chatterjee went on stage to collect his award, both his sons, Arko, of Class X, and Anuj, of Class IV, clicked the moment on their respective cameras. “My sons have caught the photography bug from me and now both of them want to click wildlife pictures and send to this contest,” smiled the father.  

Sarmistha Bera, HA Block 

“I had learnt the basics of photography from a friend and started shooting on holidays. But now I click my home and surroundings, especially during morning walks,” said Bera, before discussing her favourite shooting sites with the other contest winners. 

Devarupa Gupta, AE Block 

“I am a teacher who was introduced to photography by her students,” said Gupta. “And after I won this prize it was my students who congratulated me the most. Photography is a stress-reliever for me in the midst of my busy life.”