(Gopal Senapati)

Salkia Chhatra Byayam Samity

Year: 5th

Theme: Global warming is the theme here with artist Santanu Dey Bakshi depicting the cooling of the earth after intense temperatures. Water is the primary subject shown in three forms, solid, liquid and gas. The pandal has been shaped like an igloo, showing cubes of ice made of white organza. Inside, a central pillar from the ceiling to the ground has a fountain of water falling into a small reservoir, shaped like a lotus. Bubbles released from the reservoir shows the gaseous form of water. The idol here is an angel coming down from heaven. The white colour sequence is maintained throughout the pandal. Five white rings, depicting bubbles, is where the idols are placed inside the pandal.

(Gopal Senapati)

Alapani

Year: 68th

Theme: Alapani has decided to go natural this year. They have not used any artificial colours and chemicals in their pandal, which is in muted colours. The entire décor includes natural materials or things that do not cause pollution. Outside the entrance outside is a tree with leaves and birds made from sola. Inside, the ceiling and walls are decorated with nakshikantha designs. These have been sourced from artisans in Birbhum. The idol is a mix of oriental art and daker saaj. It has the natural colour of clay. Soot mixed with clay has been used to paint the idol’s eyes in Alapani’s attempt to go natural. Dim lights in earthen pots illuminate the interior of the pandal.

(Gopal Senapati)

Ichhapur Shivaji Sangha

Year: 41st

Theme: The club’s football field has been transformed into a Jarwa village. Plenty of hogla leaves, bamboo and straw have been used to create a walled village where clay models of Jarwa adivasis depict their way of life. At the middle of the round pandal is a thatched cooking area where a clay goat is being roasted over a flame. Tribals are sitting around it, waiting for the meat to be cooked. Five large structures made of hogla leaves and bamboo serve as the mandap. Durga is in the central structure while Kartick, Ganesh, Lakshmi and Saraswati are in four smaller structures. In keeping with the theme, the idols also bear the tribal look. A lot of greenery can be seen outside the pandal as trees and shrubs have been used to cover the entrance to the pandal. Coconut palms are also spread around the village. A traditional idol has been kept in a separate pandal outside the Jarwa village where the puja will be held.

(Gopal Senapati)

Howrah Saraswati Club

Year: 68th

Theme: Howrah Saraswati Club has an installation art on acid rain as its theme this year. A tree made with the help of colourful plastic pipes has been made on the club ground. Visitors will pass through this huge tree and reach another smaller pandal where an idol, in keeping with the theme, has been placed. An old car, that will finally be painted in rainbow colours, has been placed next to the tree. This symbolises corrosion. An old scooter, in the same colour scheme, has been placed at the entrance to the lane leading to the pandal. Acid rain will be shown with the help of lights. The rain will appear to destroy vegetation. The traditional idol at the clubhouse is where the puja will be held.

(Gopal Senapati)

Salkia Agradoot

Year: 36th

Theme: Palashbani, the imaginary tribal village seen in Star Jalsa’s popular serial, Ishti Kutum, has been created here. Baha and Archisman, the central characters of the serial, are seen here as clay models. Scenes from the soap have been recreated with Baha dancing with other villagers, Archisman taking photographs at the village, Baha’s house in the village and also a tribal wedding. Paddy fields and other vegetables had been planted in advance at the field and these are now in full crop. A village pond, cattle, chicken and goats and also the village god, Maranguru’s shrine complete the picture. The Durga mandap is a simple tiled roof hut where the idol is traditional like any village puja.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Uttar Khurut Barowari

Year: 75th

Theme: Underwater world has been created by artist Ashim Panja at this pandal. Corals, sponge and innumerable types of fish and forms of aquatic life adorn the pandal. Butterfly fish, clownfish, angelfish, sea horse, stingrays and other sea creatures are seen inside this colourful pandal. An old wrecked ship is the home of these sea animals and it is partly visible under vegetation and aquatic life. An octopus hangs from the ceiling of the pandal at one end. At the centre, a shark rotates on an axis and a scuba diver goes around the wrecked ship. The entrance, however, shows two polar conditions. Icebergs and a penguin family are seen at the left of the entrance while a 13 feet crocodile lies across a beach, on the right side. A fisherman in a boat is on top of the pandal. The idol is seen against a deep blue background, standing on a reef under the sea. The entire illumination is with blue LED lights, giving the effect of waves. Diffused sunlight is shown in the middle.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Bantra Nabin Sangha

Year: 53rd

Theme: The club this year has chosen to promote folk dolls that are available in almost all districts of West Bengal. The main focus is on the wooden dolls of Natungram in Burdwan. Artist Uday Mondal has sourced the dolls of different sizes and placed them at the entrance. Six colourful towers inside the pandal have been made where Gyanoda Opera from South 24-Parganas will be showing puppet shows to live music. The traditional talpatar sepai, made by some artisans in Andul has been used here as well.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Shalimar Panchabahini Club

Year: 31st

Theme: The pandal has been transformed into a prayer hall. The entire pandal is full of clay models of figures

worshipping Durga in various postures. Some are seated with folded hands while

others have their hands raised upwards. Some others have flowers in their hands, preparing to give

pushpanjali. Outside, the pandal has been decorated with blue net and a dim mystic light.

(Gopal Senapati)

Kasundia United Club

Year: 69th

Theme: Kulo (winnowing fan), kori (shells) and fans made from tal leaves are the theme of this puja pandal. The club had been organising a simple traditional puja all these years. However this year they decided to decorate the pandal with these forgotten household items. Fans of different sizes along with kulos and koris of various sizes have been used here. The idol is traditional.

(Gopal Senapati)

Halderpara Friends Association

Year: 50th

Theme: Pollution is the theme here, but at the sea. Artist Santanu Bhattacharya has tried to depict how man is polluting the sea. The pandal is heavily decorated with colourful lights that are suspended in the air by invisible strings. Visitors enter the pandal through a tunnel and reach an underwater world which is divided into three zones. The first shows a shipwreck with chunks of iron under the sea. The second is a grey zone with oil and other pollutants. The third zone is one of Santanu’s imagination where he has made various items like corals, sponge and other natural colourful elements that can be found under the sea. These emit light, as do many things under the sea. The walls of the pandal are decorated with various types of aquatic vegetation, fish and other creatures. A diffused light from the top, as is seen under the sea, illuminates the pandal. In keeping with the theme, the idol is surrounded by seaweeds and vegetation but the face is traditional. The same diffused light will illuminate the idol as well. However, a spotlight will be used on Durga’s face. Since it is the club’s golden jubilee, the members have also decided to promote the new football team, Atletico de Kolkata, the franchisee from Calcutta that will play at the Indian Super League. Various kinds of programmes will be organised at the club during the Puja to promote the new team. The neighbourhood will sport the red and white colours of the team.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Chittaranjan Smriti Mandir

Year: 66th

Theme: The pandal is of geometric shape. Steel girders shaped like triangles have been suspended in air over the front of the pandal with paintings of gods and goddesses. In front is an artificial waterbody where a trident pierces through a buffalo’s head. The mandap inside is hexagonal. A mirror opposite the idol helps people to see Durga while entering the pandal itself. The outer structure of the chalchitra behind the idol has been made with steel rods. Tridents and arrow heads can also be seen jutting out from the chalchitra. Durga’s lion, has been replaced by a half-horse-half-lion, as is seen in some traditional family pujas.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Jatiya Seva Dal

Year: 81st

Theme: Odisha’s Konark temple has been created at this club’s puja. The nearly 100 feet tall temple stands like a mammoth structure in the middle of the locality. The sculptures, wheels and all intricate work done on the walls of the pandal have been reproduced on plaster of Paris and thermocol at this pandal. The steep steps, however, might pose a problem for many. The ambience inside the pandal is of an old temple with similar sculptures and motifs done all around. The idol is traditional.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Arupara Sarbojanin Durgotsav

Year: 28th

Theme: Depletion of natural sources of energy, specially coal, has been shown here. The pandal has been designed to show various alternate sources of energy like biogas, solar energy, hydroelectricity and wind power. Visitors enter the pandal through a coal mine where clay models of workers breaking coal are seen on either side. Inside the pandal, a small stream of water in which a turbine moves to show how hydroelectricity is generated. A rotating windmill, a biogas plant symbolised by gas chambers and cows sitting near it, show alternate sources of energy. The gas from the biogas plant is supplied to village homes to replace coal hearths. Solar panels on the roofs illuminate houses. The windmill also serves as the mandap where Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartick and Ganesh are in the form of clay relief figures against a flat surface. Durga holds a trident shaped like thunder in her hands.

Picture by Gopal Senapati

Bally Uttarpally Sarbajanin Durgotsav

Year: 67th

Theme: From a distance the pandal looks like a toy house. But artist, Anjan Shau, has tried to convey a serious message through his colourful creation. The theme is based on Ravana of the Ramayana, who represents the evil that prevails in the present society. It causes destruction and loss to mankind. Artist Anjan Shau believes that man invokes the Goddess to kill the evil, just as all the gods had invoked her to kill Asura. The entrance to the pandal has a colourful arch with the 10-headed Ravana. Inside, scenes from the Ramayana have been depicted through paintings. The weapons of the goddess have been painted on the arch inside the pandal. In keeping with the theme, Durga is seen here slaying the demon with a trident in both hands while her eight hands are blessing her devotees.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Kalabagan Kishore Sangha

Year: 69th

Theme: A village has been created at this pandal with bamboo and straw. A makeshift bamboo bridge, across a pond, with a boat tied at one end and small paddy fields with clay models of farmers working give the feel of village life. The mandap is a paddy store (dhaner morai) inside which Durga resides. A cow-cart, a small hut and pan boroj (betel leaf farm) have also been made. Clay models of villagers sitting near the pond, a fisherman and children running around complete the picture.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Shibpur Sasthitala Barowari

Year: 89th

Theme: Folk art and memories from a lost childhood have been linked together into a collage of ideas at this pandal. Visitors walk into the pandal to be greeted by a voiceover that reminds them of things from their childhood like the autumn clouds, kash phool, the sound of a train passing by and other things. Artist Anupam Mitra has tried to link these memories with folk art forms from around India like Worli paintings, Madhubani paintings and so on.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Kalyan Palli

Year: 56th

Theme: The idol is the main attraction at the puja this year. Although it is made of clay, finally it will take the look of touchstone (kashthi pathar). Parts of the idol have been kept broken while carving out the figure. The goddess is Ugrapashani here. The boundary wall to the pandal has been made of tridents. Tantric symbols are scattered everywhere. The entrance is through a natmandir which will lead to the goddess in a village atchala.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Hazarhaat Kalitala Sadharan Durgotsav

Year: 51st

Theme: The pandal transfers one to ‘Ramdhanur deshey’. An arch with the colours of the rainbow greets visitors. Above the arch are tiny crystals that look like raindrops from a distance. The colour sequence continues inside, against a black backdrop. A huge demon blowing flames is seated right at the entrance. The flames are created with the help of ice cream cones pasted on a conical structure with a yellow light inside. On entering the pandal, one finds an extra-long trident, extended from Durga’s hands to the demon’s back. Durga and her children stand over a globe, depicting the earth. Numerous trinayanis (three eyes of the goddess) are painted on the ceiling from where little bulbs, depicting rain, have been suspended. The rain douses the demon’s flames and the rainbow forms from the little droplets of water. A background score by Debajyoti Mishra will play in the pandal.

(Anup Bhattacharya)

Howrah Shibpur Sarbajanin Durgotsav Committee

Year: 75th

Theme: In the platinum jubilee year of the club’s Durga puja, the Ellora caves have been recreated as its pandal. A part of cave No 15, depicting Dasavatar or Vishnu’s 10 incarnations have been made here. Sculptures around the cave have been replicated in plaster of Paris at the pandal and have been painted slate grey to match the appearance of the original caves. Cave 15 has a two-storeyed mandap which has been made here as well. However, the mandap is empty. Visitors enter the pandal through one side where a 30 second audio voiceover on the Ellora caves play. A walk through the pandal shows more bas-relief sculptures on the walls. The pandal is illuminated with a mystic blue light from outside that gives the effect of a moonlit night. In the middle, in an open space, resides the Durga. The idol is not traditional. The club has always worshipped Durga along with eight other consorts of the goddess, namely, Brahmani, Maheswari, Kameswari, Narasinghi, Vaishnavi, Varahi, Indrani and Chamunda.