In the 125th birth anniversary year of Saradindu Bandyopadhyay, east Calcutta’s Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha presents Bengal’s beloved dhuti-clad detective, Byomkesh Bakshi, in an immersive Puja experience.

Titled “Ek Pandel Byomkesh”, the theme crafted by Anirban Das transforms the pandal into a vivid world drawn from Saradindu’s stories, rendered in the style of a graphic novel. Giant speech bubbles, painted panels, and towering cut-outs bring the sleuth’s adventures to life, while a dramatic pop-up book unfolds on stage as part of a live performance.

“We are using 22 out of the 33 stories Saradindu wrote. There are also references to key moments from Byomkesh’s life displayed through a biographical wall clock, where each hour marks a milestone from 1904 to 1965,” said Anirban.

The pandal’s façade draws inspiration from the story Banhi Patanga, capturing the moment when Shakuntala Devi sneaks out on a romantic rendezvous with a letter, unknowingly followed by Byomkesh. Visitors then walk through a lane lined with 13 houses, each a site of a Byomkesh adventure. The walls of these houses unfold like pages of a graphic novel, depicting pivotal scenes.

The journey begins with Satyanweshi, which introduces the Mess Bari where Byomkesh and his chronicler Ajit first meet. “Although it was the third story published, we chose it as the starting point,” Anirban explained.

Other stories featured along the lane include Seemanto Heera, Adim Ripu, Agniban, and Raktamukhi Neela. Spine-chilling moments — like the eerie grin of the old man in Makorshar Rosh or a woman being pushed from a rooftop in Magna Mainak — are vividly recreated, gripping even those unfamiliar with the stories.

On the opposite side of the lane, six towering cut-outs evoke memorable plot points. A revolver frames a scene from Rakter Dag, a porcupine captures the climax of Sojarur Knata, while a tiger’s paw points to Chorabali, where a villain mimics a tiger’s roar to lure his victim into quicksand.

“We have highlighted the villains, too. Byomkesh often admired the shrewdness of the minds he matched wits with,” said puja secretary Souro Ghosh.

The pandal’s interiors are cast in sepia tones, with deft monochrome sketches that evoke an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue. That tone of mystery carries through to the idol itself, which appears under a curious inscription: “Durga Sundarir Kanthyahar Rahasya”.

“This is the only imagined story in the pandal,” said Anirban. “The goddess’s necklace has been stolen, and Byomkesh has been summoned to solve the case.”

As with his past Puja themes, Anirban incorporates a performative layer. Voiceovers of Ajit and Satyabati accompany live narrators who enter to announce the theft, explaining that Byomkesh is too engrossed in the case to receive guests.

On stage, performers dramatise a scene from Pather Knata, the detective’s first published case, by turning pages of a massive pop-up book. Another wall is devoted to Chiriakhana, famously adapted by Satyajit Ray. Stylised posters, featuring a bespectacled Uttam Kumar as Byomkesh, match the pandal’s aesthetic. The film is depicted as screening at Purna cinema in south Calcutta.

Saradindu makes an appearance, too. A separate wall depicts him in conversation with linguist Sukumar Sen and historian Pratul Chandra Gupta, using speech blurbs. “This documented exchange helps audiences understand Saradindu’s approach to the sleuth who called himself a truth-seeker,” said Souro.

The result is both homage and invitation.

“This pandal will prompt readers to revisit Saradindu’s stories — and inspire new ones to discover Byomkesh,” Anirban summed up.