Jagadhatri Puja in Chandannagar set to resurrect 3 community pujas of Kolkata

Kolkata: Jagadhatri Puja in Hooghly district’s Chandannagar is set to resurrect three community Durga Pujas of Kolkata, conceived by artist Gouranga Kuila, by using components of each of these pujas, including pandals and themes.

Three community pujas in the city conceived by Kuila are Suruchi Sangha at New Alipore, Tridhara Akalbodhan at Manohar Pukur Road and 14 Pally near Entally Market.

The pandal of Suruchi Sangha, which displayed the theme ‘Purano Sei Diner Katha’ (Those Old Days), will be used at the Jagadhatri Puja at Niyogibagan.

Referring to the concept, Kuila said many things which were once valuable possessions for us are getting discarded with advancement in technology. “Festival brings joy not only to living beings but also to inanimate objects which cannot speak and hence cannot be heard. I tried to instill life into such discarded things,” he said. Different parts of vehicles, fishing nets, oil tins, paint containers were used for the pandal.

Tridhara Akalbodhan’s pandal will be used at the Helapukur community puja in Chandannagar. This year, Tridhara had embraced the theme “Angan,” depicting courtyards as a symbol of familial bonds and cultural traditions. “The rapid flow of life has made us bereft of the space (Parisar in Bengali parlance) we need for a balanced life. This concept of space for society and our culture was conceived through the theme,” Kuila said.

The ‘Parampara’ (Tradition) theme of 14 Pally at Entally will be borrowed by Burrabazar, Chandannagar for its Jagadhatri Puja. “The different vocations that continue through tradition were highlighted. The pattachitra of different states, alpana art, shola handicraft, weaved materials were used in making the pandal,” said Kuila.