When 24-year-old Alice Bonnafey, a chemical engineer-turned-IT professional from Lille in northern France bordering Belgium, first heard about a festival named Durga Puja which takes place in the eastern corner of India, she had little clue about the grandeur and magnitude of the open-air carnival on earth.

Months later when Alice landed up in Calcutta, prodded by fellow professional and entrepreneur Bodhisattwa Banerjee, a native of the city who has business interests in multiple European nations including France, her awe and wonder with the splendour of the festivities on the eve of Sasthi simply refused to cease.

GSOE founder Bodhisattwa Banerjee explains pandal nuances to a foreign delegate with actor Barun Chanda in the background TT online

“I had no idea that the scale of celebrations would be as massive as this,” Alice said about the city’s 265 square mile open-air carnival which attracts a footfall of over 11 million people according to conservative estimates.

“No festival in France is as grand and impressive as this, not even remotely close,” Alice gasped while trying to sink in her excitement. “The weeklong Feria summer festivals in France attract people by the thousands. But Durga Puja is something else. Here participation is by the millions. It’s unbelievable!”

A member of the GSOE European contingent meets HIDCO chairman Debashis Sen at a Puja pandal in New Town TT online

Alice has donned a new hat for the autumn festivities though and is an unofficial Durga Puja brand ambassador for her country in Bodhisattwa’s endeavour to popularize the festival in the West. She is also part of arguably the first panel of foreign jury currently visiting Calcutta judging Pujas.

The "Greatest Show on Earth" (GSOE), as Bodhisattwa and his team call it, is an initiative geared towards elevating the global recognition of Durga Puja and inviting foreign ‘culture explorers’ to this city. Hinging on the recently acquired UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage status, Banerjee has taken it upon himself to play the role of showcasing the magnificent luster of Durga Puja and promoting inbound overseas tourism.

“Durga Puja is many times bigger than the Mardi Gras in France, the Oktoberfest in Germany, Rio Carnival of Brazil or the Edinburgh Street Art Festival in Scotland, both in terms of people’s participation as well as revenue generation,” Banerjee maintained about the estimated Rs 70,000 crore Puja industry. “Why then should we not showcase its brilliant artistry and intricate craftsmanship that embodies Bengal’s cultural richness to the West and affirm the festival’s numero uno position on the global stage?” he argued.

“After all, there are so many angles to Durga Puja that foreigners need to be enlightened about: its spiritual side, its cultural dimensions, its traditional stories, the explosion of art it facilitates, the culinary delights which go hand in hand, the music it produces and the finances it generates are but a few of the festival’s inextricable dimensions,” he continued.

GSOE members with a host of city-based celebrities at a Puja pandal TT online

That’s why Bodhisattwa’s GSOE has introduced a Puja award, but one that stands out from the already existing myriad others in focussing on organizers who have Puja budgets of Rs 50 lakhs or less, besides overseas judges. “We are interested in those Pujas who do not have big patrons supporting them,” Banerjee said.

Banerjee says he managed to rope in some 15 delegates from France, Germany and England across age groups and from diverse professional backgrounds this season to interact deeply with the organizers, artisans and other stakeholders of each Puja in their judgment radar looking into art and ambiance, idol, environment and the social message they impart through their Puja themes.

A critical criterion for the Rs 10 lakh total cash prize on offer for the shortlisted Pujas is that 60 per cent of the prize money will immediately have to be redistributed among the artisans, dhakis, decorators, sound and light people. “This underscores GSOE's commitment to acknowledging the relentless efforts of artisans, sculptors, and painters who contribute tirelessly to make Durga Puja celebrations internationally renowned,” a statement from the initiative read.