After a disastrous 2020, it looked like Puja 2021 would take the same route when we heard that no cultural programme would be organised this year as well. We, the children of Uttara Prathama Dwitiya in New Town, were especially disappointed.
But, on Ashtami after pushpanjali, we heard that there would be a puppet show. Puppet shows had been held a few times in our housing complex earlier but this time it was happening after almost three years.
The show was to be put up by the Dhumketu Puppet Theatre. It started with the dancing of a big puppet. I was amazed at how the artist managed to hold such a big puppet and make it dance to the rhythm of the song.
Next up was a Covid awareness show called Duaare Corona. It was a wonderful story showcasing all the difficulties we faced due to this pandemic. Last year, a rumour spread that Covid-19 was an urban disease and did not impact villagers. People started to believe that. The show urged us not to trust such rumours as the deadly virus can spread anywhere. It also reminded us of the importance of getting vaccinated, washing hands frequently, wearing masks and following all the protocol even after getting fully vaccinated. The puppets asked us to trust doctors and contribute in this battle.
After this, there was a dance presentation of two beautiful string puppets. They narrated a humourous story with a moral, written by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury titled Dushtu Bagh. In the story, a cunning but witty tiger falls into his own trap after trying to outsmart others. Also, there was a woman puppet, dancing to the beat of the song Sundari Kamola nache. Everyone loved this dance.
It was followed by a lion dance where two lions danced ferociously but in a funny way. All of us were laughing but suddenly one of the lions pounced on us in the audience and many of us got really scared.
The last to feature was the talking puppet which I loved the most. It answered our questions and made us laugh heartily. We asked him how he spent lockdown and what he learnt from it. In turn, we had to sing a song for him! This was the end to a memorable Ashtami morning where we also got to learn a lot of things. Puppetry is a rare and endangered art form that really needs appreciation. Many of us tend to forget that the real magic of the puppets lies in the fingers of the one controlling them. The puppeteers are not always appreciated.
We, the children, were feeling sorry that we could not stage our play like every other year. Instead, we helped in the decoration of the pandal. We had a group of friends who worked on two decorative pillars which were placed beside the idol. I along with my friend Ishan Basu Mallick also worked on a mural painting of goddess Durga and her family, inspired by the art of Jamini Roy. The canvas was big and it was difficult to draw on such a big area. However, both of us worked day and night to complete the work in time.
Uttara Dwitiya, New Town