Pandals- A Photo Essay

 

SN Roy Road

This is no ordinary post box. It is a special one where a letter posted to Ma Durga reads:

Take leave from your work
And come to me
We will sway to the sound of conch shell and pooja bells
And dance with the Dhunuchi to the beat of Dhaak 

Ekdalia Evergreen

The budgets of some handful of Pujas in Kolkata vary from big to very big and then there is a vast majority of puja committees who have small to very small funds but they are all extremely rich in their creativity and imagination. Every narrow lane in this Paradise City has a pandal put up and each one of these is unique. No two pandals have the same look or theme. That is what makes this festival so unique and brilliant. The city becomes a mini-world and you could get transported to a temple situated in southern India or even land yourself in the middle of Amazon forest. Let us share with you some of the most fascinating pandals. These are our choices amongst the 80 pandals we visited, mostly during the day time. Of course, other people can enumerate many more interesting ones with far more intricate work or illumination, so apologies to all those places we may have given a miss here.

Sreebhumi

This year, all roads led to the St. Peter’s Basilica at Sreebhumi at Lake Town. The artisans took care not only of the main structure but went on to replicate the great Italian masters on the walls and ceilings too. While you could question the size, for the real place would be a thousand times bigger, but this miniature piece had every detail worked out in bamboo, cloth and wood decoration, paintings adorning the walls and apostles standing on the outer periphery. We wondered how these craftsmen, who had never ever seen the Vatican, could create such a marvel. We are sure the crowd that daily thronged this site would have matched the real place without of course El Papa being there. Anyway, there was always El Mama standing atop the lion there to bless them.    

FD Block Salt Lake

They say you can find a Bong on top of Everest and down below in the Antarctica. They do have a wanderlust which is insatiable. The pandal at FD Block, Salt Lake was based on a Latin American tribe who took to worshipping Durga for their safety and well being which was taught to them by a traveller from Bengal. Almost life like people and village scenes have been created and the pandal had three huge faces on the outside made of jute ropes. The theme read Obulupti Theke Aloke (From Extinction to Light).

Babubagan

If you are a numismatist, you would have loved seeing the Babubagan, Dhakuria pandal whose theme was based on coins minted since independence. The whole pandal contains all coins issued since 1947 including all the special commemorative ones and even the Durga protima is engraved on a coin.

Agrani, Chetla

For the environmentalist there is the puja pandal of Chetla Agrani made of banana leaf fibre and their theme Sholo Kolay Purno. The extraction of banana fibre from the stem of the tree is in itself a dying or lost art and to create an entire pandal out of it is a work of wonder. 

Santosh Mitra Square

Welcome to Red Fort situated at Santosh Mitra Square, Kolkata with exquisitely done interiors. You feel like standing straight and singing Jana Gana Mana with all pride and respect.

Sovabazar Rajbari

Calcutta was once called the City of Palaces with the Rajas and Zamindars having palatial houses and  leading ostentatious lives. many of these families continue with their worship of Ma Durga in their ancestral homes like the descendants of Rani Rashmoni and the Zamindars of Thanthania. One such palace belonged to Raja Naba Krishna Deb whose Sovabazar Rajbari is a must visit stop for any pandal hopper. The original building has been kept reasonably well by the descendants. Sharing it not for any other reason but to reflect on the next pandal of interest on our list.

Golaghata

At Golaghata, however, the progenies did not take care of the house well and it became completely dilapidated. Here is one beautiful pandal which was created by such skill that it took us some time before we realized that this was a set and not an old house complete with the thakur dalan where the idols are placed. 

Kumartuli

Over the years Kumartuli is the place which has produced the best of artisans who have sculpted the Durga idols which are on display not only in Kolkata but in almost all parts of the country as well as different parts of the world. This year, the pandal there paid a tribute to all the artists who have brought fame to their place and profession. The names were put on festoons flying at the entrance, on bricks with their names engraved on each of them, on the wall of fame and even on the black screen behind the goddess. What a well-deserved tribute!

Ahiritola

There was a time when Bengalis were dominating the music world in most parts of the country except the Southern part and as a mark of tribute to the music world, Ahiritola Puja created a pandal with the installation of a huge gramophone which occupied nearly half the space along with a radio, cassettes, microphone with Aakash Bani written, a piano , musical notes and  so much more.

Dum Dum Jubak Brinda

In the course of our pandal hopping, we observed that  the artists and sculptors could create worlds out of almost nothing. For instance, Dum Dum Park Jubak Brinda made an arena with Dashavatar, Trimurti and the Durga idols, all made of sand. 

Kashi Bose Lane

In another part of the city at Kashi Bose Road, a massive make- believe pandal was dedicated to Ma or Motherland. Ma is also associated with Maati or soil which gives life and nourishes everything and everyone.

Tridhara

At Tridhara Sammilani, the organisers showcased the unending ‘Daur’ of the common man in the rigmarole of everyday life. The pandal is made of anchors, chains, cycle wheels and other materials of everyday use and have also made use of lots of puppets denoting the helplessness of the common man. 

Dum Dum Bharat Chakra

At Dum Dum Bharat Chakra the devotees could see the lives of a Baul and a soothing song of Parvathy Baul kept playing in the background whose essence was antarlin or the need to introspect rather than be critical.

Alipore Sarbojanin

At Alipore Sarbojanin, the theme was Chaabi or Key. Now with the pandemic fear gone, people have found the keys to freedom and are once again living their normal lives. 

33 Palli, Beleghata

At 33 Palli, Beleghata, a huge set was created with the installation of a road roller highlighting the rampant urbanization and concretization of our lives where people are represented as silent spectators.

Vivekananda Road

We could go on and on but must step back lest we go overboard. We are now more than convinced that no place on earth can match the creativity and art of the people in this city and state. As a tribute to the unknown artists, we dared to re-phrase the first few lines of William Blake’s immortal poem.

The Artisan

Pandals and Streets, illuminated bright,
In the urban forests of the Kolkata night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could put such frames in beautiful symmetry.

In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine dreamy eyes?
On what wings dare you aspire?
What the hand, dare create such magnificent spire?

Salute to the Unknown and Unseen Master Craftsmen. How we wish we knew who you were, we could have shaken your hands, patted your backs, given you hugs and made you famous by taking your names far and wide. You need to be seen and recognized and given your rightful dues for creating such masterpieces and putting together the world’s biggest street festival.

DS & SS