Protyek Baadi Pujo Baadi
Asian Paints Sharad Shamman 2023
Arjunpur Amra Sabai
Club
Theme Artist : Bhabatosh Sutar
Idol Artist : Bhabatosh Sutar
Theme : Ganadebata (Divinity of People)
Women's rights forms the crux of the theme at this pandal. The striking 15-feet idol of Durga stands in a posture of defiance. She is Ganadebata, and represents every woman who faces struggles and emerges like a phoenix. Unlike the perfectly assembled idols you normally see in pandals, this one stands out with unkempt hair and a rough texture, signifying all the struggles women have been through.
Dumdum Tarun
Dal
Theme Artist :Pradip Das
Idol Artist : Pintu Sikder
Theme : Kalbela (Inauspicious Time)
They have referred to the dark times that descended on Bengal after the Dewani Rights let the East India Company take control of Bengal after the Battle of Plassey. Responding to the call of times, the women of Bengal rose to rebellion against the colonial repression. The pandal has back-lit portraits of some of these women freedom fighters of Bengal. Together with them, the Puja pays tribute to Netaji and his Jhansir Rani cadre in the Indian National Army.
Hatibagan Nabin
Pally
Theme Artist : Anirban Das
Idol Artist : Anirban Das
Theme : Abol Tabol (Gibberish)
Abol Tabol is one of Bengal's most iconic works of literature (originally written for children but enjoyed by adults as well). Written by the legendary Sukumar Ray, the collection of nonsense rhymes was first released in September 1923. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Sukumar Ray's death. The pandal, which is done in black and white, displays his works and famous characters from the books.
Purbachal Sakti
Sangha
Theme Artist :Partha Dasgupta
Idol Artist : Partha Dasgupta
Theme : Sorbojoner Durga Pujo (Durga Puja For Everyone)
This year, their effort has been to locate practices - social and artistic, rural and urban – that, over time, went into making the Goddess Durga popular and eventually, the cultural brand of Bengal. They have identified two such primary examples in the ‘pat’ Goddess, that is painted and worshipped in the households of Hatserandi village in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, and the 19th century woodcut prints of colonial Calcutta; and have tried to bridge these two in their pavilion.
Tala Prattoy
Theme Artist : Susanta Paul
Idol Artist : Adhir Paul
Theme : Kohon (Narration)
The pandal has transformed into a grand apartment with a four-poster bed next to the Goddess, writing desk, and other wrought iron furniture. It is a visual narrative of an eternal relationship between the artist and Mother Durga. It represents the presence of the divine beyond a temple or a ritual and also on our professional life and space.