Themes have caught on with the Saraswati Puja as well and this year at Dasnagar, the pujas were no less than any of the big budget Durga Pujas in Howrah. Themes ranged from technology, dragons, Buddha and rose to the heights of heaven and fell to depths of hell to attract visitors. The Telegraph Howrah took a tour of the four clubs in Dasnagar that competed with each other in their themes and subjects. It was a tough fight to decide the winner.
Dasnagar Tarun Sangha
50th year
A gala golden jubilee celebration has been organised this year at the club. The huge white pandal, partially a replica of the south face of the Swiss parliament building, towers over the open ground. Thousands gathered from day one to take a look at this much-talked about Saraswati Puja this year. They waited in a queue to enter the pandal. A tall flight of stairs led to the entrance after which one had to climb down again. Saraswati is seen inside the screen of a laptop. On one side, farmers tilled the field while on the other a rocket was being launched from a space station. The idea was to depict Saraswati as the goddess of agriculture and also of technology. The idol came from Krishnanagar. Outside the pandal, a stage for cultural programmes was the centre of attraction. After inauguration by the state panchayat minister, Subrata Mukherjee on January 22, various programmes, from magic shows, ventriloquism to sit-and-draw competition, Usha Uthup night were held every evening. The idol will be immersed on January 31.
Dasnagar Evergreen Friends Club
27th year
The theme at this puja was called Bansher Tatali and the entire pandal has been made from bamboo products. Bamboo mats, baskets, winnowing fans (kulo) and various other items could be seen at the pandal. A Saraswati idol made from bamboo baskets greets visitors at the entrance. Around the boundary wall, made from dorma or bamboo mats, were figures of Kali in different forms like Chinnamasta, Dhumavati and others. Painted kulos were used to decorate the walls. However, the biggest draw was the idol. Made from biscuits, the idol drew all the attention of the visitors who stared in awe. Biscuits like marie, rusk, cream cracker, cashew biscuits in different shapes and sizes were stuck together to give shape to the idol. Bread crumbs were also used to give the right colour to the idol. “The biscuits have been sprayed with certain chemicals so that ants or other insects do not feed on them. Making the idol from biscuits has given the whole theme a uniform colour scheme,” said Mahendra Sharma, the president of the club.
Dasnagar Bhai Bhai Milan Sangha
47th year
Heaven and hell stood juxtaposed at this pandal at Bhai Bhai Milan Sangha this year. Although the theme has nothing to do with Saraswati Puja, the pandal did not fail to draw huge crowds every evening. Visitors waiting in queue outside the pandal watched a live Shiva walking on top of the pandal, in what looked like the Himalayas, carrying Sati’s body over his shoulder. One had to walk through a maze to reach Heaven, depicted as Lord Indra’s court, where live models dressed as Indra and other gods were seated. An apsara, performed in front of the gods. The next tunnel led to a dark and fearful Hell where Yama was seen glaring at the visitors with Chitragupta standing next to him. Live models enacted different scenes of punishment being meted out to the dead. Walking out of Hell, one reaches a serene mandap where Saraswati is seated on a swan-drawn chariot with Vishnu. This idol too has come from Krishnanagar and leaves everyone spellbound after the dark gory scene left behind. Bhai Bhai Milan Sangha will immerse the idol on January 30.
Dasnagar Jagaran Sangha
50th year
Buddha and a Chinese temple were the theme of this pandal this year. The inside of the boundary wall was decorated with cloth with appliqué designs. Colourful figures of Buddha and dragons of various shapes and sizes made the pandal colourful and attractive. However, it was the face of the Buddha that grabbed attention. Made from brass plates, diyas and other brass items, the huge face of Buddha hung over the entrance to the main mandap where the idol was placed. Buddha’s face was flanked on both sides with two dragons, made from the same metal. In the evening, the halogen lights flashed on the face making it glow like gold. Inside the mandap, too, the walls have been decorated using the same appliqué designs. The Krishnanagar idol, too, draws attention. Saraswati was seen seated on an elaborately decorated throne. The goddess was flanked by two sakhis. As part of the golden jubilee celebration, the club had organised a health check-up camp and blood donation camp in the area. The idol will be immersed on January 31.
Other pujas in Howrah
Bally Prafulla Samity
69th year
This Saraswati Puja, commonly known as jaler thakur in Bally and adjoining areas, is one of the most popular pujas in this area. The pandal is made on the pond in Dingshaipara and people gather around the pond to watch the light-and-sound show every year. This year’s theme was Uttarakhand floods. The pandal has been made in the form of the Kedarnath temple with the mountains as the backdrop. The six-and-half minute show, depicts the Uttarakhand calamities with the help of lights, sound and voiceover. Inside the temple, an idol of Saraswati was pulled in and out with the help of a hydraulic system. The show started from Saraswati puja on January 25 and will continue till February 1.
Nibra Amra Sabai
Eighth year
The young boys of this club have enthusiastically decorated the Saraswati Puja pandal on their own right from cutting the bamboo, colouring and decorating the pandal. Their theme is Shiva, the father of Saraswati and so they have made two smaller structures with Shivalingas on either side of the main Saraswati pandal. The main pandal is simple but has been artistically decorated with golden balls. A huge bamboo structure comprises the outer wall of the pandal. Each square opening in the structure has balls hanging in them. With effective use of yellow light, the balls have been made to reflect on the white backdrop, giving the effect of numerous balls along the boundary wall. Bamboo mats were used to make the mandap where the idol was placed. Cultural programmes were organised through four days from January 24. Madhusudan Mukherjee, the inspector-in charge of Domjur Police Station, delivered a speech on the role of Swami Vivekananda in women’s education on January 24. Baul groups performed on the evening on January 26. The idol was immersed on January 27.
