Dashadrone

Where: Turn right at Chinar Park from Major Arterial Road. Turn left from Rajarhat Road on reaching Dashadrone.

Dashadrone Byayam Samiti

Year: 75th

Budget: Rs 25 lakh

The look: The theme-maker Tufan Manna, a Midnapore resident, suffered a road accident, fracturing his leg, yet did not budge before getting the pandal ready. The colourful pandal has been decorated with clay utensils like dhunuchi, plate and cup, kulo, dala etc. In the upper levels, there are big faces of the goddess carved in shola pith and pasted on large kulos. At the lower levels, stands large dolls and owls, standing in recesses created on the façade with bamboo poles. Inside, Jamini-Roy style paintings hang as centrepieces of panels done up with clay plates stuck to the wall.

Fun funda: The platinum jubilee edition of the oldest puja in the area was inaugurated on Tuesday by Bollywood actor Sanjay Kapoor, known for starring in the film Raja and more recently in Lust Stories and The Zoya Factor.

Dashadrone Youth Corner

Year: 46th

Budget: Rs 8.5lakh

The look: The 13ft blue idol has come all the way from Deganga. She stands in a palatial edifice, on the walls of which patterns have been created by folding golden cloth, bordered with red cloth. Figures of gatekeepers keep watch standing next to musicians playing shehnai.

Narayanpur area

Continue on Rajarhat Road beyond Dashadrone. Turn left towards Sourav Ganguly Avenue.

Pragati Sangha

Year: 56th

Budget: Rs 40 lakh

The look: The pandal is modelled after Prem Mandir in Vrindavan. On the huge field leading to the pandal will be scenes of Krishna’s life and leela. A basin has been created in which there is the fibre glass figure of Vasudeva crossing the Yamuna water carrying new-born Krishna on his head. Other figures dot the field. On a bamboo scaffold at the far sides are various other panels on Krishna’s exploits.

Rabindra Sangha

Year: 11th

Budget: Rs 12 lakh

The look: The pandal is a fusion of Buddhism and Hinduism, inspired by two religious sites of Nepal. The outer section, with Lord Buddha seated in meditation, has been decorated with prayer wheels, flags and thanka paintings. The Swayambhunath stupa has been replicated in miniature form behind the Buddha statue.

Inside, the inspiration is the Pashupatinath temple. Lord Vishnu lies at the centre in anantasajya. Masks of demons hang on the walls. Above the entrances are illustrations of Nandi, Shiva’s bull.

GopalpurNawjowan Sangha

Year: 46th

Budget: Rs 15 lakh

The look: Club members, led by Sujit Naskar, have devised a theme of the unity of two sides of the Indo-Bangladesh border. A visitor is greeted by two life-size figures on standing sentry on each side of the entrance, with the flag in hand of India and Bangladesh respectively. Vegetation has been grown on both sides of the approach through which barbed wires pass, signifying the border. A waterbody dug in front stands for the river Ichhamoti that provides a natural border between the countries. On one side is Taki, with mini replications of schools and other landmarks of the town. There is also a panel of two supporters of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal holding hands. On the other side is an installation dedicated to the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war and a figure of Kazi Nazrul Islam in relief, as a composer of Shyamasangeet. Above the pandal looms a gigantic face of Rabindranath Tagore, 54ft high, with the lyrics of the national anthems of both countries written, one on each side, spanning 52 ft.

Netaji Sangha

Year: 48th

Budget: Undisclosed

The look: Known to be the puja of Rajarhat New Town MLA Tapash Chatterjee, the theme here is upachar, or the accessories needed. Hence the visitor walks in and out by a giant dhunuchi. Theme-maker Shibshankar Das has also used pradip, ghonta, asan, gamchha etc. The most striking presence is of Kali, seated on a snake and with two hands. This is modelled on an old Kali temple in Nalhati in Birbhum.

Gopalpur House Tarun Sangha

Year: 43rd

Budget: Rs 7 lakh

The look: A very tastefully decorated pandal, created completely out of bamboo slices

Salt Lake Maitri Sangha

Year: 37th

Budget: Rs 10 lakh

The look: The puja, helmed by Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation chairman Sabyasachi Dutta,has replicated the Golden Temple of Amritsar. There are two waterbodies with sprinklers on either side of the approach to the pandal. The goddess has been adorned with gold jewellery worth about Rs 56 crore.

Fun funda: On Friday, Swagatalaxmi Dasgupta will perform from 7pm. At 8.30pm, Pawandeep Rajan and Arunita Kanjilal of Indian Idol fame will take the stage.

Balaka Salt Lake City

Where: BD Park

Year: 52nd year

Budget: Rs 10 lakh

The look: The huge pandal houses an equally huge idol, about 16ft in height.