Dugga Elo Ghawrey

During the time of World War II, when the perils of destruction was looming large, a new avatar of art was emerging here in the horizon of Kolkata Pujo. The war in Germany, incidentally opened ways for Shola art in Bengal’s Durga Pujo premise. The gilded foils and glass beads used in decorating the devi were sent by daak (post) from Europe and specifically from Germany. But once the war broke out, the stream of exports dwindled and the artisans here, in a frantic search to look for indigenous alternatives, turned to Shola, an aquatic wild herb grown in marshy wetlands. Sholapith then evolved as the medium for Durga’s décor. Mrityunjoy Malakar of Bankapasi pioneered in introducing ornate for Durga & Kali Pratimas made of Shola which even took Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose by surprise at that time. Bose went on to use ‘Shola r Saaj’ made by late Mrityunjoy for Kali Pujo at his residence. know more

“I strongly believe that the differently abled persons have inherent rights to their human dignity and irrespective of the origin, nature and seriousness of their handicaps and disabilities become as self-reliant as possible’’, says Debajyoti Roy, who runs an NGO called National Institute of Professionals (NIP). NIP initiated India’s first ever university directed computer course for the visually & physically challenged persons directed by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in 2004 & in the same year, two of their visual impaired students cleared the IGNOU exams with flying colours with all other general category students. know more

t was during one of his concert tours with Ustad Zakir Hussain he came across a lady at a music store in Los Angeles demonstrating saxophone, clarinet, brass, trumpets to customers by playing them all by herself.” If a lady in US can do so to earn her bread why not our girls back in Bengal? In a way she was my inspiration to build up an all girl’s dhaki team starting with the women from my own family’’ says a smiling Gokul Chandra Das, the man who is the face of Bengal’s dhak in national & international stages today know more

As a little boy, sporting new clothes in Pujo was an unaffordable luxury for Saju Talukdar. His father, who was a tailor by profession, used to stitch shirts for him that was made out of leftover clothing materials of army men from nearby Hasimara Air base. This little boy is in mid forties today. He ensures that the poor and underprivileged people from the neighbouring villages in Dooars get garments round the year and more so during Durga Pujo. Saju Talukdar started a Clothes Bank with used garments in 2017. He collects used garments from people and distributes it amongst people who feel privileged to own even a used shirt or a saree. know more

Did you know that two of Bengali music’s all time cult songs were composed on the go? Yes, one in a double decker 2B bus en route to Hazra from Manna Dey’s residence at Hedua & the last part of another historic number was composed in an upper bunk of a sleeper class compartment in Howrah-Mumbai Mail via Nagpur. Seventies is labeled as the golden era of Bengali music, with stalwart music directors like Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Nachiketa Ghosh, Sudhin Dasgupta, Salil Chaudhury & RD Burman composing classic numbers one after another in their Pujo albums. That was the time when a young lad, barely a teenager then, dared to compose a Pujo release song for legendary Manna Dey in 1978. Many senior artists of that time had their strong reservations, but his ‘Manna Kaku’ chose his composition over some senior music directors. ‘’Se amar choto bon’’ was an instant hit after its release. ‘’I was thrilled to hear the song playing in the Biswakarma Pujo pandals that time and by the time Pujo came the song became a rage’’, recalls Suparna Kanti Ghosh, now in his early sixties today. That very year Suparna Kanti's another composition for Bhupen Hazarika, ’O malik.... megh kore dao’ also became a big hit in Pujo know more

Soham Paul, the small framed guy in his early twenties with a boy next door look, has been silently doing some exceptional work at Muktakash with the street children of North Kolkata off Vivekananda Road, for last two and half years now know more

For the Kolkatans & Bengalis around the world, Pujo Sankhya (Pujo editions of Magazines) have been one of the star attractions during Pujo. Land mark novels, short stories and poems by Sunil Gangopadhyay to Satyajit Ray and many more, published in these Puja Magazines have enriched Bengali literature over the decades know more

‘’We celebrated Durga Pujo in our house at Kapasdanga-Hooghly, waiting eagerly for those five days of Pujo. It was truly a magic realism with the gathering of all our family members & friends.The smell of new dresses, beats of dhak, bhog, rehearsals for cultural programs & plays - Pujo was always larger than life a charm for me’’, says Dr Sugata Dasgupta, who has been happily spending most of the Pujo days at the 7th floor of CCU at RG Kar Hospital ever since he took charge of the critical care unit there in 2011 know more

Naya, a small village of Pingla in West Midnapore district, is the habitat of 70 odd families whose livelihood runs through age old colourful folk art of Poto Chitra & Poter Gaan. The Poto Chitra themes & songs range from traditional mythological tales and tribal rituals to modern Indian history and contemporary issues. Iyakub Chitrakar is one such leading Patua from Pingla who is 4th generation Patua & successfully could disseminate the art through his next generations as well know more

Despite his busy & highly demanding schedule as a Medical Practitioner, Intensivist & In Charge, CCU – Institute of Neuro Sciences, Kolkata, Dr Saptarshi Basu manages both ends happily & successfully during Pujo. This year, one of the visitors suffered a cardiac attack in the Pandal during Aarati, Dr Saptarshi’s professional skills as a Intensivist came handy to revive her from a near fatal consequence know more

Chef Pinaki Ray is a diehard Kolkatan by heart and like every other Kolkatan, he too is obsessed with pujo. An ex Xaverian & graduate from The IHM Taratola-Kolkata, Pinaki has been staying abroad due to his professional demands for over a decade & half now. Staying away from his home town, more so during Pujo, always used to pinch him somewhere deep in his heart. But ever since he settled down in Singapore in 2003, it became a ritual for him to be a part the Pujo celebrations in the Bengali Associations Singapore know more

‘I love to create Debi Pratimas & my love for my job has intensified over the years’, says China Pal, a woman artisan from Kumortuli – the Land of God Makers in the City of Joy China Pal, aged 45, invokes life in her idol creations with simplicity and perfection. Talking about her childhood days, she recalls how the regular visits to her father’s studio got her intrigued towards the art of creating idols know more

Banschator, a remote village of Murshidabad, where Toton stays has nothing very exceptional to mention about except the fact that about 70 odd families in his village have dhaks in their houses and the male members go out & play dhak in Pujo & other rituals. Dhak runs in his family as well and Toton is the 4th generation to try hands on dhak know more