The opening of the GD Block puja turned out to be quite a diplomatic tightrope walk for the organisers. The residents’ association had invited the US consul general alongside the Russian consulate general, which was represented by their vice-consul.

When US consul general Kathy Giles-Diaz walked in with her husband Miguel Diaz, the Russian vice-consul Ektarina Tyurina was already posing for pictures along with Ramakrishna Mission Alambazar Math head Swami Saradatmananda and women of the block in front of the idol. Unmindful of the current geopolitical tensions involving Russia, the block committee member, who chaperoned her in, requested her to join them. But the American diplomat stayed put at a distance till the picture on the dais was taken and the assembly broke up. The monk was requested to stay on and an announcement was made for the ladies who had not got a chance to feature in the first frame to come up. So a second photo was clicked while the Russian diplomat was escorted to the front row in the adjacent space for cultural events.

While Giles-Diaz chose the front row seat the farthest away from the two-member Russian team, organisers were in a fix when she made it clear that she would not share stage with them. A US consulate staffer suggested a solution — that each be called separately to the stage. So the announcer, Ashish Hazra, was instructed accordingly and Giles-Diaz went up along with her husband to join block president Amitesh Banerjee.

“It’s one of the things I love so much about Calcutta — the warmth of the people and honouring of the heritage. We have a very long history with Calcutta. It is our second oldest consulate in the entire world... So honouring the heritage of the hand-pulled rickshaw and of the deep ties with Calcutta is very important,” said the US consul general.

Her husband too was called upon to speak. “We are here for Durga puja. I believe in honouring strong women. That’s why I married Kathy,” said Miguel Diaz, drawing applause for his wit as he called upon the men in the audience to honour the women in their lives.

Once the Americans left, it was time for the Russians to be asked on stage. “Ajker din, ei muhurto khub gurutwapurna karon ami mone rekhe (sic) ami ebong amar sohokormi Ana ekhane June mashey chhilam ebong amra dekhechhi khuti pujor somoy jokhon ei sundor pandal-ti sthapon kora hoyechhe,” Tyurina, who had indeed attended the block’s khuti puja, said in heavily accented Bengali, without the aid of any written text in front of her. The feat won everyone’s admiration.

“I had invited diplomats from the US, Australia, China and Russia. When the diplomats from Russia and the US arrived one after another, I had hoped to create a moment on stage as Durga puja is all about amity and reunion for us. But the situation took a different turn,” Manick Deb, one of the organisers, later told The Telegraph Salt Lake.

Of the other invitees, the acting Australian consul general Kevin Goh spent Sandhi puja in GD Block while Tyurina was invited back on Navami for a charity event with 50 children from the north Calcutta orphanage, Anondo Mandir.

The inaugural evening featured a cultural programme by the children of an NGO, Notun Surjo from Chhoto Jagulia. This was followed by an audio drama, titled Dena Paona, by a Salt Lake-based group called Unmukto.

EE Block

The EE Block stage was inaugurated by an actress who grew up performing on it at Durga puja functions. “I have grown up dancing on this stage and am feeling quite embarrassed now when kaku kakimas are referring to me as the chief guest,” laughed Solanki Roy. “My puja is not complete till I see the idol at EE Block so I’m lucky to be beginning the festival here today.”

The cultural stage was named after the poet Sukanta Bhattacharya, as this is his centenary year. Also at the opening was author Pracheta Gupta, who said he longed for the warmth of the Pujas of yore.

“Many blocks now hold huge pujas that drawing pandal-hoppers from all over town, but residents too feel like outsiders now. So I’m happy to find that EE Block’s puja is still homely,” said the resident of EC Block.

“Back in the day, one would meet neighbours and chat on the way to the market but this practice is fading away now as we are all ordering online. At such a time, Pujas are an excuse to meet at the pandal, dine together and wish one another on Dashami. The positivity derived from this isn’t restricted to four days but the whole year. So it really doesn’t matter how beautiful a pandal is from the outside if our minds aren’t open.”

The puja was also attended by the office-bearers of the block.

Brinda Sarkar

CC BLOCK

Former bureaucrat and former Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar cuts the ribbon to open the puja at CC Block in New Town as actor-physician Kinjal Nanda (in black) and CC Block secretary Biman Samaddar look on, along with others

Former bureaucrat and Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar cuts the ribbon to open the puja at CC Block in New Town as actor-physician Kinjal Nanda (in black) and block secretary Biman Samaddar (right) look on, along with others. The theme of the puja was unity