Durga Puja isn’t just a religious or cultural festival, but a social one too. It is this responsibility that the 17th edition of the Serader Sera Nirmal Puja Puroskar aims to awaken, by encouraging Kolkata’s puja organisers to be more environmentally conscious.
“Kolkata has 5,000 Durga pujas and over 100 of them can boast a footfall of more than 3 million people. Our mission is to ensure that all these pujas incorporate ecological sensitivity, be it in their themes, immersion or materials used,” said Jayanta Basu, director, Environment Governed Integrated Organisation (EnGIO).
The Green Puja Awards, a pioneering effort in the country, was instituted in 2007 and has since been acknowledged nationally and internationally. Organised by environmental non-profit Environment Governed Integrated Organisation (EnGIO) with My Kolkata, Serader Sera Nirmal Pujo Puroskar is supported by West Bengal government departments such as disaster management and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board. This year’s edition is sponsored by corporates like Exide, Vikram Solar, IndianOil, DBPL and Patton while Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) is the knowledge partner and The Plurals News Network being the knowledge partner.
The competition received 300 applications, of which 12 of the city’s greenest pujas were shortlisted as finalists. My Kolkata brings you a sneak peek from Day 1 of the final round, where the judges inspected six prominent pandals from the city.
Tridhara Akalbodhan
The pandal at Tridhara has utilised several day-to-day items for its environmentally conscious theme, such as repurposing wooden hangers into birds
Started in 1947, this puja has been a consistent performer in Serader Sera Nirmal Puja Puroskar through the years. Artist Gouranga Kuila has been overseeing its curation over the past year. This year, the theme is ‘Angan’, centred around the artist’s imagination of the entire pandal as his lush green courtyard. The use of items like coat hangers to showcase birds and trees made from nets reinforce Tridhara’s commitment to sustainability. Gouranga hopes to reuse most of these items in future events. “For us at Tridhara, environment is the most important subject, and we constantly try to create awareness through Durga Puja. With the rising water level in the Sunderbans, this cause requires all our concentrated efforts,” said Debasish Kumar, mayoral council member. The pandal also provided all of its 50-plus artists with health insurance.
What the judges said:
I’m overwhelmed at how creativity is bringing forth a social message. Pujas like these show how we can all take small, actionable steps against climate change
Kathy Giles-Diaz, consul general of US in Kolkata
This is my second time at Tridhara and I’m mesmerised by how they've managed to strike a perfect balance between making it large and expansive, and yet very accessible. The social work that they're doing beyond Durga Puja is equally impressive
Andrew Fleming, British deputy high commissioner to east and northeast India
Alipore Sarbojanin
Special care has been taken to keep the idol free of any colour
Adjudged the regional topper from Bhowanipore zone, this pandal shed light on the significance of bohurupi artistes. “Through our theme, Swong-kolpo, we wanted to showcase how divinity enters a human body when these artistes dress up as gods and goddesses. We also wanted to elucidate how they become free from the bounds of gender and race,” said Koushik Bhattacharya, general secretary of the committee.
What the judges said:
This pujo is especially mindful of restricting its power consumption to less than 15kW. The spacious setting also ensures greater mobility.
Dr S.P. Gon Chaudhuri, chairman, energy committee, Government of India
Theme pujas like this should be lauded for going the extra mile to ensure safety. The fire fighting capabilities here have set an example for all pujas.
Dulal Bose, eminent physician and former sheriff of Kolkata
Chetla Agrani Club
Centred around the plight of Ganga, this pandal demonstrates its holiness by showcasing all the pilgrimages that value the river
Every festival in India is intrinsically connected to the Ganga. But how do we treat the river? This central question guides the puja at Chetla Agrani.
“The Ganga is our lifeline, and every Indian is dependent on it. Unfortunately, we use the river as a dumping ground. How we treat it today will affect the water we use in the years to come,” said Firhad Hakim, the mayor of Kolkata. The very entrance paints a powerful image by simulating the waste that humans have dumped at the river.
The pandal shows the journey of the Ganga from the heavens through Shiva’s head, the prominent pilgrimages it is revered at, and the industries that have plagued it post-urbanisation.
What the judges said:
The theme is excellent, doing justice to our motive of cultivating greener pujas. I’m glad to see that they haven’t used any plastics either.
Abhijit Chatterjee, professor at Bose Institute and climate change scientist
It’s admirable how they have shown the variety of ways in which we create pollution in the Ganga, from spiritual activities to human sewage and rapid industrialisation
Subrata Ghosh, senior official, West Bengal Pollution Control Board
Behala Club Sarbojanin Durgotsav 2024
This pandal focuses on the delicately balanced relationship between humans and tigers in the Sunderbans
The Sunderbans are a much-loved part of Bengal, enabling the true coexistence of humans with nature. This coexistence is the focus of this puja’s theme, Aranyok.
“At one point, Behala was a part of the Sunderbans too. As time passed, the green cover of the region dramatically reduced. Our puja aims to educate people on how the Sunderbans is a rich repository of tribal culture, mangroves, and also hosts the delicately balanced relationship between tigers and humans,” said the club’s media secretary, Shivaji Bhattacharya.
Adjudged the zonal topper from Behala and Haridevpur, the puja brought representatives from the Sunderbans for workshops, along with constituting a research and development team of 20 people to ensure authenticity.
What the judges said:
This puja is reminiscent of the remarkable change in the mindset of puja organisers in recent years. It is a good compilation of culture, tradition and social messaging. The only thing I would have desired was a more ground-level examination of the region with more active involvement of its residents.
Tuhin Ghosh, professor of oceanographic studies at Jadavpur University, who has been researching the Sunderbans since 1994
This is a great way to not only highlight the significance of mangroves, but also to help Kolkatans understand the overall lifestyle of the tribal community and their struggles for livelihood.
Swati Maitra, faculty at IIT-Kharagpur
Santoshpur Trikon Park Durgotsab
This puja bagged the zonal topper award from the Kasba, Bypass and Dhakuria region
75 years is a significant span of time.
For Santoshpur Trikon Park Durgotsab, celebrating its 75th anniversary coincided, the number is even more significant as it coincides with 75 years of the Indian Constitution. “We decided to celebrate these two landmark events together this year with our theme, Ujjapon. We consider the Indian Constitution not only as a political document, but a work of art. As Bengalis, it is a matter of pride that a Bengali, Nandalal Bose, designed it,” said club secretary Souvic Bhattacharjee.
The decor of the pandal borrows directly from designs on the Constitution, bringing alive Bose’s motifs on secularism, Indian mythology and the freedom struggle.
There is also a sense of responsibility in the use of recyclable materials and keeping the protima lead-free. In addition to wheelchair and ambulance support, the puja has been made more accessible with separate women’s washrooms and a baby-feeding room. These measures have earned them the zonal topper award from Kasba, Bypass and Dhakuria.
What the judges said:
The idea of using lead-free paint is commendable, as is the drive to only generate biodegradable waste. I'm also impressed with the security measures in place.
Aniruddha Mukhopadhyay, professor of environmental science, University of Calcutta
Even though the theme isn't related to sustainability, the use of sustainable materials makes up for it. The presence of wide entry and exit points also ensures safety.
Bhargab Maitra, dean of student affairs, IIT-Kharagpur
Swapnar Bagan Yubak Brinda
The tussle between unplanned urbanisation and dilapidating nature is the focus of this pandal
What is the cost of urbanisation? This is the driving force behind the puja, as it questions the perils of unplanned ‘development’. “Our notion of development often comes at the cost of nature, and we have seen how this has led to the clearing of green zones in places like Purulia and Sunderbans. We believe that there is still time to save the planet, if we can plan for sustainable development,” said club treasurer Sudip Guha.
The very entrance highlights this issue, as a skyscraper pops atop a tree trunk, threatening to envelope the green plumage above it. Another string of skyscrapers have a young boy staring out of them, breathing through an oxygen mask.
With a budget of Rs 12 lakh and a consumption of just 9kW of electricity, this pandal is structured around the responsible consumption of energy. These statistics have landed it the title of the regional topper in the Ultadanga-Kankurgachi zone
What the judges said:
Given that north Kolkata is the oldest part of the city with narrow lanes and limited resources, this awareness is even more important. This effort can truly save lives.
Bhargab Maitra, dean of student affairs, IIT-Kharagpur
I know how logistically difficult it is to create a pandal in such a confined space, and their efforts show how important the puja is to the community. This focus on urban planning will continue to gain more attention going forward.
Andrew Fleming, British deputy high commissioner to east and north-east India
