FD Block was the only puja from Salt Lake this year to be selected to participate in the state government’s procession of idols on Red Road  on October 3. They were the third in the queue, having qualified among the overall toppers.

Other than the idol, there was a tableau that carried about 20 residents, the youngest being Parisi Chakraborty and the oldest Sikha Basak. “We had divided the tableau into three sections. Seven of us women held articles considered auspicious in rituals like mongolghot, pradip, borondala, kulo and conchshell. The children and youths danced to the song Dhaker taley komor doley. We got the news of our selection on Navami and had no time to rehearse. But this was a song we had all danced to before. It was an unforgettable experience,” said Pampiya Basu Nath, the cultural convenor.

Telling a tale by pull of strings

To tide over the gloom that besets on Dashami evening, residents of CG Block gathered at the pandal for Vijaya Sammelani after immersion of the idols. They had more to look forward to than exchange of Vijaya greetings. There was a puppet show planned.

A puppet dressed like a baul entered the stage, singing Amay ektu jayga de followed by another puppet who welcomed every “mejda, sejda, malda” in the audience.

Soon a voice announced  that they were about to stage the tale of Sabitri and Satyaban.

Three-year-old Damini Sarkar had to stand on a chair next to her mother Poulomi to enjoy the act. “She loves to play with dolls and has a huge collection. She has been upbeat ever since she heard of the puppet show happening,” said Poulomi, who kept explaining the story to her.

When the puppets of Sabitri and Satyaban were having a conversation, nine-year-old Rishi Saha turned to his mother to ask the meaning of some of the words. “The act is colourful and the songs are nice but the dialogues have difficult words,” said the boy, who still sat through the show.

Towards the end of the play, Abhijoy Munshi, 12, got bored and wanted to play with friends. “I know the story. The beginning was nice but now I want to play yet my friends are not leaving their seats,” complained Abhijoy, having failed to make his friends leave by promising to tell them the rest of the story.

Kanai Das was the voice of all the characters. “I speak and also sing for the characters. I try to give my best so that people start taking interest in this art form,” said Das, a teacher by profession from Ranaghat.

While many were happy with their first puppet show experience, some were critical. “They could have chosen a happier story. This is not apt for an occasion where so many kids were present,” said block resident Sutapa Ray.

Shatadipa Bhattacharya