KOLKATA: With less than two months to go for Durga Puja, Kolkata is buzzing with activity. Rain may be playing spoilsport but that hasn’t stopped Puja committees from working round the clock to meet deadlines.
Among them, Tala Prottoy in North Kolkata, known for its breathtaking thematic pandals, is drawing all eyes this year as it celebrates its centenary Puja. And for this special milestone, the theme has been named by none other than West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
On Thursday, Tala Prottoy held a special curtain-raiser to unveil this year’s theme, ‘Bij Angan’ (The Seed Courtyard). It’s a name that hints at growth, renewal and perhaps the sowing of new cultural and spiritual beginnings. Though organisers didn’t reveal the meaning of the theme, they had started their campaign on World Environment Day, thus signalling their commitment to eco-conscious celebration.
Interestingly, for the last few years, it was Sushanta Pal who crafted idols at Tala Prottoy. But this year, artist Bhabatosh Sutar has taken over the reins. This isn’t the first time Banerjee has named a Durga Puja theme. In 2010, she directed the theme design for Bhawanipur Bakulbagan Durga Utsav.
Meanwhile, UNESCO, which declared Durga Puja as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022, continues to support and promote the art form globally. In fact, last year, it backed the third edition of the Durga Puja Art Preview held at Tala Prottoy.