The 41 Pally idols in 2007

A group of 34 orphans sponsored by 41 Pally Club will be part of the volunteer brigade at its pandal in Haridevpur, voted Model Puja 2007 by the jury of the CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja.

The oldest of the orphans is in Class VI and the youngest studies in Class III. The children may not know that their puja won an award last year, but they aren’t short of enthusiasm. “Their food and education this year was funded from the award money,” said Dipankar Chatterjee, the chief co-ordinator of the puja.

The club runs an orphanage called Sampark, which all the children call home.

A portion of the Rs 50,000 awarded to the puja last year was spent on the rehabilitation of drug-addicted youths, a programme that the club has started in collaboration with an NGO, Swapnanir.

“The first beneficiaries of our rehabilitation programme were a local youth and his friends. When we helped him get back to normal life, his father was so grateful that he gave us a room to run our centre from,” said Chatterjee.

The club also draws senior citizens every Friday. “They come to get treated in a health camp that Helpage India conducts in our club room.”

The room is right now packed with all the paraphernalia required to create an artificial jungle. “This year we are trying to bring alive the Sunderbans. You will even meet Banbibi (the goddess of the forest) here,” said Sukanta Bhattacharya, a member of the club.

The theme of the pandal, which has been a crowd-puller over the past four years, is conservation.

So, will the defending champion in the Model Puja category be able to retain the crown, especially with the puja count going up to 257 this year?

“So many people come to us seeking financial help. The other day, someone came seeking Rs 1.5 lakh for the treatment of his 22-year-old hospitalised son. We gave him what we had. But that was hardly enough. Such faces inspire us to do better so we can help all such people next year.”