Bantul the Great, Handa Bhonda and Nonte Fonte will greet visitors to the Singhi Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja this year. In its 81st year the south Kolkata puja has decided to pay tribute to Narayan Debnath and the timeless characters created by him. My Kolkata is the digital media partner of Singhi Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja.
Theme and decorations
The entire pandal will be decorated with cartoon strips created by Debnath. “Life-size models of Bantul the Great and Handa Bhonda will be seen at the pandal. Artist Mithun Dutta has created a life-size bull chasing Nonte-Fonte in plaster of Paris. Several such scenes are being recreated here,” said the general secretary of the club, Avijit Majumder.
All three gates of the pandal have been made to look like an open comic book. “We are trying to create an ambience where visitors will feel as if they are entering Debnath’s studio while the master artist is at work. The interior of the pandal will resemble a house of that era,” said Majumder.
The idol
The Durga idol, however, will be traditional as always.
At Singhi Park, whatever be the theme of the pandal, the style of the idol has never changed. “For the past 15 years, artist Pradip Rudra Pal has been making our idols and before that, it was his father Mohanbasi Rudra Pal. We have always followed the same model for the idol,” said Majumder.
Theme music
A special background score has been composed by percussionist Suven Chattopadhyay for the Singhi Park puja.
The organisers and musicians used music from Western cartoon shows as the reference point. “But now that has been given a unique Bengali twist. Bengali folk music and instruments have been used extensively and the background music will surely attract one and all,” Majumder said.
The Singhi Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal. Photograph: Singhi Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja
Looking back
Singhi Park Sarbojanin puja was famous for recreating temples from across the country. From Dakshineswar temple to Somenath temple and Badrinath temple, pandals at Singhi Park have been modelled after all.
The temple trend continued till 2019. The pandemic changed everything.
“In 2021, greenery was our theme. Thousands of plants and saplings were used to decorate the pandal and at the end of the Puja, the plants were distributed. We wanted people to know about the importance of trees,” said Majumder.
Countdown
The pandal is expected to be ready by September 25, Mahalaya. “We are planning to bring in our idol on September 24. Besides, after two years, we shall be using special lighting arrangements from Chandannagar,” said Majumder, adding that this year their budget is around Rs 60 lakh.
Social work
The club is known for its social work throughout the year. “This is the time when corporate houses loosen their purse strings for different types of social work. Besides organising the puja, a major portion of the fund is allocated for social work such as blood donation camps, health and eye checkups. Special drives are carried out throughout the year for thalassemia patients,” Majumder added.
How to reach
The Singhi Park pandal is located near the Gariahat crossing. One can take a Metro train till Kalighat and then a bus or auto till Gariahat and reach Dover Lane.
