Each year in Kolkata during the Durga Pujas, the entire city wakes up to the festivities, the dhak (drums) beats, the blowing of conch shells, the wild Sindoor Khela (vermillion play), where women smear each other with sindur on Vijayadashami, the last day of the Durga Puja; and the massive throngs of those queuing up in line to get a quick glimpse of their favorite goddess and to enjoy the latest brilliance the city has to offer in terms of its creativity, display, vision and execution of the pandals.

This year was no exception. There were a lot of different themes from Gulliver’s Travels (FD Block, Salt Lake) to respecting the working class and their lifestyles represented beautifully by (Samaj Sebi Sangha), but the persistent refrain centered around the environment, its decay and ruin and the brilliantly executed pandal at Khidderpore’s 25 Pally where even the Devi and her son have on gas masks as they cannot breathe the air around them!

I will just share with our global readers some of the pictures of the more interesting pujas which we were fortunate enough to view in 2019 throughout the city in case they were not in Kolkata or could not traverse its lengths and breadth to get up close and personal this year.

25 Pally

This year’s theme which was brilliantly executed by artist Sanatan Dinda at Khidderpore’s 25 Pally was centered around dahan (incineration). This was motivated by the increasing water shortages, use of plastics and non-biodegradable materials causing the incineration of our planet.

The pandal depicts a high-rise building’s use of water by boring through the earth to deplete the resource. An installation of non-biodegradable water bottles and plastic bags is placed at another end. “The goddess is in the shape of a kalash (urn), as we are beckoning her. Eight of Durga’s 10 hands are holding earthen pots instead of weapons.

Tala Park

For the lay person Tala Park is an awe-inspiring piece of creation. As you enter the Shiv-cave there is a peaceful chanting of ‘OM’ with no dhaks (drums) playing or loud music. The crowd is almost silent in shock at the beauty of this gigantic pandal. Many themes are brought to life in the multitude of details and elements across this brilliant installation. The depiction of the nurturing hand and guidance of a mother, yet triumph of good over evil which is omnipresent are depicted on a gigantic scale.

Barisha Club

The Barisha Club’s theme is one of creating awareness of the problem of radiation due to the usage of mobile phones and towers which kill millions of birds all over the world. As you walk up to the Barisha Club installation, the exterior depicts a large mobile tower and a dish TV antenna along with skeletons of birds who each year die due to high radiation, stuck on the tower. The interior of the pandal displays the Goddess Durga as 'Mother Nature' without weapons and her hands are giving shelter to the birds.

Samaj Sebi

The theme for the 74th Durga Puja was a tribute to the silent and often unseen working class who provide us with valuable services and yet are seldom acknowledged for their contributions to society.

With no name and no identity these great people are the most important contributors to our society.

FD Block

FD Block kept the child-friendly theme of Jonathan Swift’s 'Gulliver's Travels' well-executed.

There was nothing too intellectual for this Pujo theme and maybe that’s why we found so many children enjoying themselves at this Salt Lake pandal.

Photo Credits: Tehnaz Dastoor

Each year in Kolkata during the Durga Pujas, the entire city wakes up to the festivities, the dhak (drums) beats, the blowing of conch shells, the wild Sindoor Khela (vermillion play), where women smear each other with sindur on Vijayadashami, the last day of the Durga Puja; and the massive throngs of those queuing up in line to get a quick glim