Kali puja promises to be a grand affair in Rajarhat this year with several pujas celebrating their golden jubilee.
At the top of the list is Pragati Sangha on Sourav Ganguly Avenue in Narayanpur. Thememaker Subal Pal wants to create a world 100 years into the future. Over the entrance a hollow metallic globe would hang grasped by robotic hands. A lotus petal stands inclined against the pandal facade. On it, fibre glass figures trace evolution from ape to human. But the journey does not end there. There is another figure made of vehicle parts. That’s man’s future — robot. A giant clock ticks on, keeping a tab on time.
Inside the pandal, 3D hologram masks float, projecting images from two 55 inch television screens. Inside a glass cylinder is a figure that is half man and half robot. Glass balls would hang with flowers etched on them, creating a mirror effect on the floor.
Kali, made of fibre glass, would hang six feet over the prostrate Shiva. “I am giving the idol too a fantasy look,” said Pal. From 100 feet away, the road would be bathed in psychedelic lights forming pre-programmed patterns.
“We started planning for our golden jubilee five years ago. We convinced Subalda to sign our contract three years ago,” said club secretary Avijit Haldar.
One reaches the pandal by crossing City Centre 2 and reaching the four-point Chinar Park crossing on the Major Arterial Road. From there, one has to take a right turn and proceed straight ahead till Kali Park, where one has to take a left turn.
Another puja in Narayanpur is turning 50. Swami Vivekananda Sporting Club is creating Chand Saudagar’s saptadingi. Boat-makers have come from Balagarh, Hooghly. They are hewing a 30ft wide and 7ft long boat in which the idol will be housed. On either side, will stand three boats each, making up the fleet of seven boats. Since the boats will be parked in the middle of a pond, visitors will have to cross a bridge created by placing 20 smaller boats side by side from the bank and back. “The boat-makers have been at work for two months under instruction from our theme-maker Somnath Mukherjee,” said club member Nilkamal Sengupta.
The Narkelbagan Shakti Sangha puja, further up the road from Pragati Sangha, promises to be another jubilee year crowd-puller. Modelled on the Iskcon temple in Bangalore, the gigantic pandal would span 130ft in width and 90ft in height. It is being decorated with 600kg imitation pearls.
At the entrance, a Radha Krishna statue erases the divide between the Shakto tradition that Kali puja follows and the Vaishnava school of thought. “Look out for the float of illumination in the pond next to the pandal, emitting lights like a sparkler and spouting water 20ft into the air creating a fountain,” said joint secretary Alok Ghoshal. The idol is being crafted by President’s Award-winning sculptor from Krishnanagar Subal Pal. The budget for the golden jubilee year is Rs 50 lakh.
Some other pujas in the area should also be worth a visit. Naojawan Sangha in nearby Gopalpur will show “talitei jaadu (magic in the clap)”. If you clap inside the pandal, the lighting scheme would change. There are more than 30 schemes programmed, the organisers say. With water cascading down the inner walls in various parts, the lighting creates a magical effect.
The pandal is 65ft high and in the shape of a globe. On top, some buildings are visible while there are hills to the left. Fishermen are out fishing in the high seas. “We are using 96 unusual ingredients to decorate the pandal,” said an artiste.
Kali looks like a fairy, wearing a ghaghra and with giant wings folded behind her back. She stands on Shiva’s shoulders. Two other fairies flank her.
Lalkuthi Netaji Sangha, which can be reached by turning right from Kali Park and then following what is called 91 Road to Parthanagari, has roped in theme-maker Sibshankar Das, who has worked at famous Durga pujas like Dum Dum Park Bharat Chakra and Kashi Bose Lane Sarbojanin in the past. “It will be a play of light and darkness. Kali puja takes place on a new moon night but we light up lamps all around,” said Das. The roof of the pandal, he said, would create an illusion of an open sky dotted with stars and the moon. The pujas will open on November 4.
A model for the 65ft pandal of Naojawan Sangha Telegraph picture
Boats are being built for Chand Saudagar’s fleet at Swami Vivekananda Sporting Club Sudeshna Banerjee
STAR PUJAS IN SALT LAKE
The facade of Pragati Sangha Telegraph picture
Balaka Salt Lake City
The look: The pandal in BD Park will have Indian and Italian influences. Outside will be an installation of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, and the mandap, by artiste Ranjan Mallik, will have intricate glasswork and diffused lighting.
Fun funda: The inauguration is on November 5 and puja the next day. Musicians Sispriya Banerjee, Sreeshan and Nakshatra band
will perform on Wednesday. Bollywood singer Abhijeet (right) will perform on Thursday.
Pritam Telegraph picture
Salt Lake Maitri Sangha
The look: The theme is “Krishna kalo, Kali kali, jwalao alo”. So the Pradip Rudrapaul idol will be housed in a Krishna temple and a full figure of Vishnu will be at the entrance.
Fun funda: Opening on November 5 at 6.30pm; Salil Chowdhury tribute to follow. On November 8, bhog will be distributed among residents of Ward 31 (blocks AE, BE, BF, CE, CF) and folk singer from Bolpur, Rathin Kisku, will perform. On November 9 Parnava Banerjee will sing and on November 10, will be the big Bollywood night, headlined by Pritam (above). With him will be singers like Shalmoli Kholgade, Antara Mitra, Amit Mishra, Mohammed Irfan and Sreerama Chandra. Mamata Shankar’s dance troupe will perform before Pritam.
The Balaka idol Telegraph picture
