AE Part 2

A coconut was cracked, its water was sprinkled on a decorated bamboo pole and many hands came together to push it into the ground in AE Park 2 Park. Thus commenced the countdown to this year’s Durga puja for AE Block Samaj Kalyan Sangha. To mark the occasion, they lit six sky lanterns of various shapes and released them in the sky.

“There is a very old tradition in north Calcutta to fly sky lanterns, but with time we are forgetting it. So we decided to use this opportunity to revive this culture and at the same time let others enjoy their beauty,” said Monimoy Saha, president of the puja committee. Mayor Sabyasachi Dutta, mayoral council member Devashis Jana and Krishna Chakraborty were present on the occasion. Kids of Usha Stuti, a BE Block NGO, turned up to enjoy the occasion.

“This year our pandal is inspired by a pagoda. It will have influences of Chinese and Indian architecture and the idol will be traditional. Our budget is

Rs 22 lakh,” said secretary Tapas Sengupta.

The members of the block’s ladies wing had already started preparing for the Puja. “Khuti puja is completely our responsibility, from shopping for puja ingredients to overseeing the ritual,” said Tapati Sengupta, a member of the ladies group.

Shatadipa Bhattacharya

Residents at the khuti puja in AK Block. Saradindu Chaudhury

AK Block

Metal will be the mantra at the AK Block pandal this year. “Every year we look forward to doing something new and unique. Our artiste shared his dream project with us. We are excited to build a pandal made of metal for the first time,” said secretary Aritra Sen. “Our budget this year is Rs 30 lakh,” he added.

Residents of the block, meanwhile, ignored the muddy fields and the rain as they came together to place the bamboo pole to the cheers of ‘Bolo Durga mai ki’. The block association also announced their theme for their 31st year: Sita haran (abduction of Sita).

Artist Purnendu Dey had already started working on the theme. “Ravan did a vile thing by kidnapping Sita, but there is more to him as a person. He was an expert in many fields. Also, in a way, we wouldn’t be having this Durga puja if Ravan had not taken Sita to Lanka,” said the artist, referring to Rama’s akalbodhan to invoke Durga unseasonally before battling Ravan. “I have already started working on the theme in my workshop. We are going to use various metallic items to build the pandal and a huge Ravan structure,” he added. Arup Kar will be making the idol.

Present on the occasion were artist Shuvaprasanna, a resident of BH Block, football great P.K. Banerjee from GD Block and civic body chairperson Krishna Chakraborty from CJ Block.

Young Ishana Barari was already in Puja mood. “With the dhak playing, mantras being chanted and people gathering, I feel as if the Pujas have already started. Our rehearsals for the cultural programmes are supposed to begin soon too,” said the nine-year-old. Rama Banerjee, 70, also felt the same way. “Earlier we didn’t have the khuti puja but when people are happily coming together to celebrate a day then why not have a new ceremony? Every year, I dance during the Puja. Hopefully this year also my health will permit me to do the same,” she smiled.

Shatadipa Bhattacharya

Telegraph picture

CD Block

Women rule in CD Block. In the organising committee as well as in the proposed theme of the pandal. But they intend to be inclusive. “We had initially decided on the theme Matrishakti narishakti. But we later changed it to Matrishakti manab shakti as we did not want a gender distinction,” said joint secretary Sharmistha Ghosh.

There will be 32 women personalities from history whose sketches will be put up on the pandal walls with brief biographical details. Among them are Rani Laxmibai, Mother Teresa and Ma Sarada.

And to inaugurate the pandal will come Subhasini Mistry, a remarkable lady who has built Humanity Hospital with her savings after her husband died without treatment.

“A girl represents sacrifice, courage and power and who symbolises this better than Ma Durga?” said Ghosh, explaining the connection of the theme with Durga puja.

The 20-member puja committee comprises women in all the key posts. Ghosh, for instance, shares the secretary’s post with Sabori Dey. “It has been this way in CD Block since 2007. This block is ruled by women but we could not function without support from the men,” said president Sutapa Chatterjee.

The block chose Independence Day to hold their khuti puja. “The intention behind clubbing the two events is to showcase that Independence Day is all about freedom from shackles, something that women are especially fighting for today,” they said.

The day that started with worshipping the bamboo pole ended with hoisting of the Tricolour and a drizzle.

Shrija Bose