Worried about leaving your pets at home while you go pandal-hopping? You can now take them along to at least two puja pandals in the city. Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club, Shyambazar, and Behala Club have declared their pandals “pet-friendly”.
Welcoming Pets
Two clubs in two corners of the city — Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club at Shyambazar and Behala Club — have opened doors to pets this Puja.
Artist Sayak Raj from Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club said the pandal will be open exclusively to pet parents between Pratipad and Tritiya. “On other days of the Puja, pet parents can call us on our helpline and we will arrange for their special entry,” he added.
Behala Club, however, will allow pets throughout the Puja but with some riders. “All pet parents must carry updated vaccine certificates and waste paper. There will be a dedicated entrance for pets and only one parent will be allowed with each pet. The rest of the family will have to use the general entrance,” said Sayantan Bhattacharjee, assistant secretary of Behala Club.
The idea behind pet-friendly pandals
While Sayantan and his team came up with this idea so that no one in the family has to stay home to look after their pets, Sayak had a completely different reason.
“A few months ago, two visitors who had taken their pets to Kedarnath temple made news. Lord Shiva who is also called Pashupati and is the lord of all animals. So, if humans are allowed to his temple, why not animals?” asked Sayak, who is decorating the pandal on similar lines. “A clay model of a dog will be installed in front of Ma Durga’s idol. A voiceover and theme music coupled with a conversation between the goddess and the animal are all part of the theme,” Sayak added.
Members of Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club pamper their pet Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club
Basic needs taken care of
Organising a pet-friendly puja is no mean task. Bidhan Sarani Atlas Club organisers are already talking to several NGOs and hospitals for assistance and there will be proper veterinary services in case of an emergency. Besides, a space will be allotted for littering.
Behala Club will be doing the same. “If a pet needs rest or needs to eat, space will be provided. It will be similar to the baby care room we started in 2019,” said Sayantan.
Keeping the animals in mind, the pandals are being made of eco-friendly material.
A thought for others
The club organisers feel that since there will be a lot of open space at the pandals, other visitors will not be inconvenienced. “Our pandal will have a lot of space for both pets and those who have an issue with the same,” Sayantan added.