Kolkata: The COVID-19 pandemic situation has affected the prospect of the theme Puja pandals or idols living a second life at different Kali Puja pandals or Jagadhatri Pujas across the state.
A number of well known community pujas have decided to destroy their puja pandals and immerse their idols finding no takers. However, there are still some Puja pandals that will be preserved or will relive at Kali Pujas across the state.
Barisha Club at Sakherbazar in Behala that has depicted the plight of the migrant workers amidst the Covid pandemic situation through the idol of Devi Durga and her entourage will not destroy its pandal or immerse its idol as of now with the state government deciding to preserve the idols.
"The state government is looking for a suitable place at an island on a road in the city for keeping the idol. A day will come when Corona pandemic will be passé but people of the next generation will be able to connect themselves with such a pandemic that has brought a sea change in human life across the globe," said Rintu Das, theme maker of Barisha Club. It was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who appreciated the art work and while inaugurating the Puja and made it clear to the committee that the idol will be preserved.
The Durga idol at Barisha Club has been conceived as a woman migrant worker who has been praying for relief with her child on her lap. The shirtless child on her lap is conceived as Kartik, the female goddesses Lakshmi and Kartik have also been conceived as child migrant workers.
The idol of Hatibagan Sarbojonin will be preserved at the Folk and Tribal Museum at Chilka in Odisha. "We have portrayed how human life had come to a complete
paralysis during the lockdown period across the country amidst the Covid pandemic," said Saswata Bose of Hatibagan Sarbojonin.
The pandal at Mudiali Club that has been conceived by Gouranga Kulia and highlighted the plight of the
handicraft workers and the folk artists during the pandemic will be recreated at a Kali
Puja at Tamluk in East Midnapore.
"There has been much less takers of Puja pandals this year on the part of Kali Puja or Jagadhatri Puja committees. The budget of not only Durga Pujas but the other Pujas too have been hit by the pandemic. A Kali Puja organiser at Dum Dum was willing to take our pandal but the deal did not finalise because of financial issue," said Avishek Bhattacharya of Tala Barowari.
Chetla Agrani, Naktala Udayan Sangha, Suruchi Sangha, Samajsevi whose pandals usually have its second tryst at other pujas preceding the Durga Puja have not found takers and have decided to destroy their mandap and immerse their idols.