CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja 2022, powered by Indian Institute of Hotel Management, in association with Chemtex, completes 20 years of celebrating the biggest festival of the City of Joy in a responsible and meaningful way. This year, too, the judging process was divided into various zones in the city. With over 400 participants, the 300 pandals qualifying for the preliminary rounds were judged on various parameters including facilities in and outside the pandal like, crowd and traffic management, first aid, fire and electricity safety, waste management, provisions for senior citizen and the physically challenged people and availability of drinking water, among others.
Beleghata Sandhani and Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha
Moods And Moments
Rituparna Sengupta explained the concept of vermilion to Melinda and the team engaged in a moment of sindoor khela at the vermilion stand placed at the entrance of the pandal. “The Telegraph True Spirit Puja is very enthusiastic. It is something we look forward to every year when Puja comes. The festival is all about togetherness, happiness. During our pandal visits we see works of various artists, we see so many beautiful themes and thoughts and while visiting the pandals we also get an opportunity to catch up with our colleagues. I loved both the pandals, both have their unique points. At Beleghata the work of art is very simple but the concept is very fundamental. Keeping their theme around women’s lives, it is very differently done. The second one is very relevant in today’s world. It shows how we continue to move in our lives. Their theme also showing unity is very hopeful. Kudos to their thoughts. The idol is very neatly done. It is very encouraging to know that people are thinking so deeply. So overall it was a very beautiful experience,” said Rituparna Sengupta.
“Every year The Telegraph True Spirit Puja gives me a chance to see the pandals, the installations and the artwork. I get to see the beautiful craftsmanship by our people, happy faces at the pandals and the beautiful ambience. Since the last few years I am noticing that people have become socially responsible during this celebration and working on different concepts for their themes to tell stories that are submerged in our society. I also appreciate the traffic control in the city. We had such a smooth journey even with so many people and vehicles on the road. I loved both the concepts of the two pandals we visited. At Beleghata, the theme was very well thought out and in Dum Dum I loved the artistic work and idol,” said film-maker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury.
US consul general in Kolkata, Melinda Pavek, actress Rituparna Sengupta, film-maker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury and Rupali Basu, CEO of Woodlands Hospital as representative of CESC clicked pictures on their phones while entering the pandal and admiring the artwork.
Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha
Beleghata Sandhani
“I was honoured to be part of the True Spirit Puja award again this year because the award promotes improvement in safety, civic consciousness, and social commitments, while also highlighting excellent design, artistry, and a spirit of inclusivity. I encourage you to visit the two superb pandals I judged.
Beleghata Sandhani
Beleghata Sandhani Club expertly captured — through imagery, music, vermillion powder, and paintings — the sadness of the historically disempowered girl child sacrificed to marriage. Yet, projected on the beautifully sculpted Durga idol’s back, a movie that provides a glimmer of empowerment hope. Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha used the metaphor of a journey to tell a story of life, displaying tangible travel items, while also emphasising that on life’s journey we can go further, faster, and be happier when we connect to the people around us, whether they are present with us for a reason, a season, or a lifetime,” said Melinda Pavek, US consul general.
While Rituparna and Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury played the dhaaks at the pandal, Melinda danced a few steps to its beats.
Priyanka A. Roy
Pictures: Rashbehari Das
Behala Nutan Dal and Ajeya sanghati Haridevpur
Yash couldn’t resist playing the dhaak at Behala Nutan Dal. While he played it Nusrat matched steps to the playful beats.
The Australian Consul General loved the concept and we caught her feeling the uneven texture of the pandal with her bare hands. She says, “I was honoured to participate as a judge and it was so much fun. Behala Nutan Dal scored highly for its use of recycled and natural materials like bamboo, stripped umbrellas and stones that were broken down into small pieces and reassembled to form a wall. This was particularly appealing given how it linked with their theme of protection and shelter.”
Behala Nutan Dal
With their thoughtful theme of Aashroy meaning ‘shelter’ and creative brilliance, Behala Nutan Dal impressed the star guests. Talking about it Yash said, “The pandal concept about the war has been done beautifully. I loved how they replicated the cloud of explosion so brilliantly with the right play of light and materials. Ma Durga was equally spectacular matching the theme. To put so much of thought and then executing it this beautifully in a pandal is extremely innovative and creative.” Nusrat said, “The beautiful thought of starting something new or fresh from the ruins of war or past really touched me.”
Dressed in a bright orange linen sari with a pink brocade blouse, Rowan Ainsworth, Consul General of Australia, loved the history of Durga Puja and its rich culture featured at this Haridevpur pandal. At first she posed with an ornately decorated palki that welcomed all at the entrance, followed by a quite spot with a traditional-style idol of the diety. “The second puja (Ajeya Sanghati) was much more decorative than the first. It was about storytelling, a much more accessible narrative with pictures around the courtyard and the theme of renewal through the cycle of life, which was illustrated through a shadow diorama, and also reflected in the pool of water circling around the goddess,” says Ainsworth.
Ajeya Sanghati
At Ajeya Sanghati the theme struck a chord with both actors. Nusrat said, “I like this more personally because we are more old-school people and when you give that bonedebari Bangaliana touch it somehow is very appealing to both of us. And also, the way they have depicted the evolution of Durga Puja right from shabeki pujo to thakurbari pujo and sangathani pujo to the new theme pujo is impressive. There’s the right amount of colour and it is so soothing to the eyes.
Creating memories and capturing them in beautiful frames, Yash takes a selfie with Nusrat.
Farah Khatoon
Halder: B. Halder
Kashi Bose Lane and Tala Prattoy
The idol at Tala Prattoy was gigantic, imposing and depicted Ma Durga as an all-powerful, primitive warrior goddess.
The two Pujas we visited were Kashi Bose Lane and Tala Prattoy. I found it very interesting that both of them share a very strange, invisible connection. Though entirely different in concept, ideation and design, both express the human connection with the five basic elements found in nature. Kashi Bose Lane concentrates on our archetypal connection with maati (soil) and has depicted it in diverse, awe-inspiring forms. Tala Prattoy has designed their installation with iron structures, whose meaning finds expression through movements. Both creations also pay tribute to the importance of toil and struggle in human life, without which it would cease to have any direction or purpose. The motion experience generated by Tala Prattoy’s pandal is unique and significant since it is made possible with the help of co-ordinated human effort. It makes you think and understand how all of us are connected with the universal design of collaborative effort that will take us forward in time and space.
In conclusion, I would say that both Pujas are very different in appeal and style, but they are stupendous as art installations in their own right. It will be very difficult to make a choice between the two,” said singer, writer and music composer Rupam Islam.
An impromptu dhaak competition between celebrity judges Richa Sharma and Rupam Islam had the crowd at the Tala Prattoy pandal cheering for their favourite stars.
Both Pujas were definitely mind-blowing in their design and creativity. I really admire the months of hard work that the artists and workmen have put in to create something so beautiful. If you ask me to compare the two Pujas, I would say that both are excellent in the depiction of their theme and have their own charm, but in terms of discipline and crowd-management I would perhaps award more marks to Tala Prattoy. Another thing I must mention is that the experiences of Covid has made the organisers more concerned about maintaining safety protocols. Electrical, fire and other safety rules have also been followed meticulously, and it was good to see that wheelchair assistance and provisions for administering first-aid are also available at both pandals. Tala Prattoy also won my heart for its Durga pratima. Though we like conventional, coloured images for our Gods and Goddesses, this idol appeared to me to be more powerful and authentic because of its raw simplicity. Here Ma Durga is truly depicted as a symbol of ‘shakti’ (power),” said Richa Sharma, actress.
French Consul General Didier Talpain with Rupam Islam and his son, Richa Sharma, Arijit Basu of CESC and Nicolas Facino, director of Alliance Française du Bengale stopped to click a picture in front of the Kashi Bose Lane idol.
Kashi Bose Lane and Tala Prattoy have created magnificent works of art. They are gorgeous to behold. It is astonishing how artisans and craftspeople have used wood, soil, iron, textiles and other elements to give expression to a key, central idea. What is special about the True Spirit Pujas is that they have achieved a beautiful mix of aesthetics and feelings. The huge installations not only impress us visually, but they also make us think and feel in a way that we have not done before.
When you are presented with such beauty and depth of meaning all around you, the task of having to decide which is best becomes all the more difficult. Though they are very different in concept and style of execution, they are both superb. Kashi Bose Lane is smaller in scale but has a closer appeal to the senses. It personifies soil as a mother figure and professes a return to roots as its underlying theme. Tala Prattoy has more grandeur and resembles a huge theatre space. It is as though you are witnessing a show, with its motions, reflections and illusions. It is very, very impressive. So how do you compare two magnificent poems, one an epic of hundreds of pages and the other, a minimalist, pithy narrative that expresses a significant thought as a microcosm? Of course, they belong to the same tradition and define the same philosophy. But every one of us has to answer this question of what is more powerful: a larger-than-life portrayal of an idea or an apparently fragile, vulnerable expression!” said Didier Talpain, consul general of France.
Draped in a red organza sari, actress Richa Sharma looked ravishing as she posed before the Durga idol at the Kashi Bose Lane pandal
— Piya Roy
Pictures: Koushik Saha
Badamtala Ashar Sangha
In its 84th year, Badamtala Ashar Sangha’s theme is Podanko, which means footprints. The pandal is broadly divided into three sections according the theme. “The idea of our artist Debotosh Kar deals with life and death, the ultimate and unavoidable truth. When we die, it is only our footprints that stay back and nothing else. The soul then transcends to God, Ma Durga. The pandal is made with plywood, paper flowers, real branches and 800kg of cotton. Idol of Ma Durga is in a dhyanomogno state, as she is dressed in white and gold and in a seated position,” said Anirban Dutta, club member.
What’s Durga Puja without some pyet pujo? We caught Parno get excited like a child seeing candy floss! “I had to have this. Chhotobelai, we would call it burir chul and it was a must during Puja,” she said. “The theme was interesting and the idol was so powerful and serene,” she said.
We have all seen fire paans on Instagram, so when we spotted a stall outside Badamtala Ashar Sangha, how could one not try? Parno sportingly popped one in her mouth! “This was so much fun!” she said.
Zha Liyou, Chinese consul general in Kolkata, sportingly tried his hands at playing the dhaak. “The traffic management in Kolkata has unique features, which we do not see in China. The practice of controlling the crowd with bamboo pole railings along major pandals is effective, cost effective and simple. There are thousands of pujas all across the city and people move about frequently. So it is important that they move in order. I liked how visitors could walk safely. They were patient and looked happy. I could see the positioning of ambulances to deal with medical emergencies. Both pandals we went to were spacious and easy for people to move in and out. We went up to the upper level (at Badamtala Ashar Sangha). The steps, though part of a fabricated temporary structure, were very firm. Environmental awareness is very strong among organisers. We did not see any plastic. The ventilation was very good at both pandals (the other being Santoshpur Avenue South Club). Though people are no more bothered by the pandemic, it is still there. People are still getting fever. So this is important for public safety,” said Zha Liyou,consul general of China.
Santoshpur Avenue South Club
Santoshpur Avenue South Club, in its 56th year, had a strong social message dedicated to women who have been subjected to acid attacks. Lokkhi is the theme, where artist Papai Santra talks about women being the Lokkhi. “Acid victims are looked down upon because of the way they look post the horrific incident but the fact is the beauty of them and the talent inside them never changes. They could still be a Kalpana Chawla! My message to the society is to embrace them like equal, be with them and also to stop the sale of acid,” explained Papai, the artist. The goddess looks serene with no astra in her hands. Divine, we say!
“I really love how the idol of Santoshpur Avenue South Club looked like an everyday woman protecting her children, that kind of resonated with. Also I love this theme, because in today’s age we need time and need to protect women and the women who have been attacked with acid forms one of the main theme of the puja pandal. It’s unfortunate what has happened with them, it’s inhumane and one shouldn’t draw a difference on the basis of how they look. It’s time we don’t corner them and treat them as normal human beings. Let’s look at their talent and delve deep into the beauty within,” said Parno.
The theme of the pandal being Lokkhi, the pandal had many idols of Ma Laxmi alongside images of women who have been attacked with acid. “For me Lokkhi stands not only for the goddess but the entire woman race in general,” said Papai, artist.
4. (L-R) Judges Gargi Chatterjee, Parno Mittrah, Zha Liyou, Tanmoy Roy and Koushika Viswanath.
— Pramita Ghosh
Pictures: Pabitra Das
Snapshots from CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja 2022 meet-up at the bengal club, ahead of the annual pandal-hopping
While Yash Dasgupta kept his Panchami look cool and casual, Nusrat Jahan decked up traditional in a wine sari, complete with flowers in her hair
Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury with Rituparna Sengupta and Parno Mittrah
Team CESC with co-judges and guests at The Bengal Club on Friday
Richa Sharma and Rituparna Sengupta struck a pose
What a cute frame! Parno with Rup Aarohan Prometheus, Rupam Islam’s son. The rockstar dad and son went pandal-hopping with The Telegraph.
Sponsor speak
“The city comes to a standstill, and everyone is excited to celebrate the joyous occasion of Durga Puja. It is one of the most awaited and colourful festivals in the nation and is celebrated on the arrival of Ma Durga. The city is dressed in colourful lights for the occasion, and everyone comes together to celebrate the triumph of good over evil” — Gaurav Karnani, managing director, Chemtex
“In the last 20 years, CESC True Spirit Puja has become a movement which resonates with the idea of safety first. Jointly CESC and The Telegraph has developed a bond of trust which adds more meaning to this festival” — Joyneel Mukherjee (extreme right in picture left), executive director, RPSG Group
“Durga Puja is recognised worldwide as Kolkata’s most popular festival. We try to provide collaborative support with CESC for the True Spirit Puja. The CESC team works hard to help people always. We should always follow their guideline while organising any Puja. This is the monsoon season, so we should not use electrical devices near water sources. Hope we all enjoy this Durga Puja free of any hazards and with the blessings of Ma Durga Durgati Nashini” — Rajib Sen, chairman, Indian Institute of Hotel Management
Pictures: B. Halder and Rashbehari Das