Dugga Elo Ghawrey
APSS 2024
AK Block Association,
Salt Lake
Theme Artist : Bhabatosh Sutar
Idol Artist : Bhabatosh Sutar
Theme : Bari Bindu (The Raindrop)
As visitors enter the pandal, they are welcomed with dhak beats with a difference. The beats are created by drops of water falling on pails and pots in a rectangular fenced-off area. The focus of this Puja is preserving water. The walls depict the layers of soil, how water travels and how it has been degraded. Although Earth is three-parts water, humankind is dependent on a mere 0.3% that lies beneath the soil. How much longer will this sustain us? Hence, the need to preserve rainwater, the need for sustained efforts, is the highlight this year.
Alipore
Sarbojanin
Theme Artist :Anirban Das
Idol Artist : Anirban Das
Theme : Sawng-Kalpa (The Street Gods)
Bengal has a tradition for humans dressing up as gods and goddesses and performing on the streets. These performances are known by different names — Sawng, Alkap, Bohurupi, and so on. The artistes, however, have remained on the margins. The pandal and its decor illustrate the history of the Sawng, and a Sawng and Alkap troupe is staging shows through the Pujas. The clay idol of Durga and the human performers unite, blending the Bengal’s folk melodies with the arrival of Goddess Durga.
Arjunpur Amra Sabai
Club
Theme Artist : Bhabatosh Sutar
Idol Artist : Bhabatosh Sutar
Theme : Anyadesh (Many Countries Within One)
Outside the pandal is a motorbike laden with luggage, moving in circles yoked to a post in the centre. The bike, Kolu, represents us who are tied to the mill that sucks our sweat and blood. The focus is on Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which provide equality — no one can be discriminated in terms of caste, race, religion, sex and so on. The idol and installations, along with performances, drive home the point that even after more than seven decades our rights are locked in the black letters on white pages of the Constitution.
Behala Club Sarbojanin
Durgotsav Committee
Theme Artist :Pradip Das
Idol Artist : Pintu Sikdar
Theme : Aranyak (The Unfolding Narrative)
The focus is the Sundarbans: the invincible men and women in the land of tides and tigers. Here, Bonbibi, the resident deity of the Sundarbans and protector of man and beast, is being invoked alongside Ma Durga. Photographs of tiger attack survivors and maps of places of tiger attacks reveal the struggles of the fishermen, honey collectors, crab catchers of the region as the elusive but powerful Royal Bengal Tiger roams the delta. Aranyak brings a sense of the beautiful as well as dreadful Sundarbans to the city.
Dakshinpara Durgotsab
Committee
Theme Artist : Debasis Barui
Idol Artist : Saikat Basu
Theme : Taranga (Waves)
This year, keeping the UNESCO tag in mind, they have moved to a more contemporary depiction of the Devi and her children. The artist has envisioned the layers of taranga as the original truth of the mobility of air, water, sound, etc. The layers change in accordance with the change of place. Hence, the Puja premises are decorated with layers of light, sound and so on, to carry forward our thoughts, philosophy, growth, knowledge through ups and downs.
Dum Dum Tarun
Dal
Theme Artist :Pradip Das
Idol Artist : Pintu Sikdar
Theme : Shada Aar Neel (When History Blends With Colour)
The two colours are not merely pigments. Shada, or white, like the delicate touch of muslin, represents the calm, serene Bengal, the soft embrace of a dream wrapped in the light of dawn. Neel, or blue, is a symbol of Bengal’s sorrow — the Indigo Revolt. The underlying link is the British colonial rule that caused the downfall of the muslin as also the dark chapter of the exploitation of indigo farmers. A depiction of the eternal shadow of colonial memory.
Hatibagan Nabin
Pally
Theme Artist : Raju Sarkar
Idol Artist : Raju Sarkar
Theme : Theatre Para
Raja Rajkrishna Street in Hatibagan area was a renowned theatre para. Today only two theatre halls stand, Sarkarina and Rangana. Rangana has been taken over by developers. Sarkarina is in shambles. Since thousands visit puja pandals, the artist saw this as an opportunity to draw attention to the wipe-out of a part of Bengal’s culture. It imagines how stalwarts like Tripti Mitra, Tara Sundari, Binodini would have reacted if they came down today. There are live performances to drive home the plight and also appeal to people to try to save Sarkarina, a part of history.
Kashi Bose Lane
Durga Puja Samity
Theme Artist :Rintu Das
Idol Artist : Rintu Das
Theme : Ratnagarbha (Womb of Gems)
The theme harks back to Raja Rammohun Roy and Vidyasagar, the two gems of Bengal who lead to the liberation and empowerment of women. The former fought against the practice of Sati and the latter fought for widow remarriage, two major turning points for women. Remarriage was possible only because of the abolishment of Sati. This journey reflects the journey of women to success. Through these two “modern” men, the Puja doffs their hats to all ratnagarbhas.
Kendua Shanti Sangha Sarbojanin
Durgotsav Committee
Theme Artist : Susanata Shibani Paul
Idol Artist : Adhir Paul
Theme : Anunad (The Resonance)
The artist has attempted to create an environment where vibrations lead to a sense of divine realization. The thought of the them is that vibrations create music and also bind people — any kind of communication relies on frequencies, be they verbal/aural or touch. Just like Durga Puja binds people through bhakti and utsav. Here, the pandal and idol are designed to reflect the complexities of sound waves. Nylon strings and lighting on them add to that end. At every step, there’s an attempt to connect one to divinity.
Purbachal Sakti
Sangha
Theme Artist :Partha Das Gupta
Idol Artist : Partha Das Gupta and Surajit Banik
Theme : Kolkatar Murtikatha (Kolkata’s Street Culture)
They are talking about streets in terms of statues of political, social and cultural entities across the city. They have recreated the statues of Britishers but replaced them with Indian heroes. The pedestals have, however, been replicated as is. Indians have found place of pride inside the pandal while the British rulers have been relegated, “driven” outside. Ma Durga is dressed in a gown like Queen Victoria, a remark on the colonial hangover in arts. There are many other aspects where the British and the Indian have been juxtaposed.
Santoshpur Lake
Pally
Theme Artist : Avijit Ghatak
Idol Artist : Avijit Ghatak
Theme : Chalchitra (The Backdrop)
This time, they have focused on the influence of the Ajanta Caves on artists. Carved between the 1st century BCE and the 5th century CE, the 30 Buddhist rock-cut spaces have continued to inspire and influence generations of artists. The frescoes speak of humanism, peace, and love. In these turbulent times, this year’s installation pays homage to this ancient treasure trove and to the artists who, through the art of the caves, helped shape ideas of new Indian art and nationalism in pre-independent India.
Santoshpur Trikon Park
Sthaniya Yubak Brinda
Theme Artist :Advisor: Jayasree Barman
Concept designer: Asim Paul
Idol Artist : Surajit Pal
Theme : Udjapan (The Celebration)
In its 75th year, this Puja has woven into its pandal the 75th Constitution Day of India, to be celebrated on November 26. To mark this double diamond jubilee, they have decorated the pandal with Nandalal Bose’s intricate artwork from the pages of the Constitution. And the idol is an attempt to recreate Nandalal Bose’s painting of Durga (Mahishasuramardini).
Tala Prattoy
Theme Artist : Susanta Shibani Paul
Idol Artist : Adhir Paul
Theme : Bihin (The Void)
The theme arises from the artist’s search for Durga that is gradually leading him to an infinite horizon, where Durga is a formless sense of existence. The entire installation presents that journey towards that “void”. As one steps in, at times it feels like a roller-coaster ride in the dark, at times it has the suspense and vibes of a sci-fi city. As the visitors walk down to the area of the idol, they almost travel from the outside space to a void, where Durga is the sole power.
Discovery of the year 2014
