New Delhi: From space shuttles to temple replicas, Delhi’s Bengali community is pushing the boundaries of imagination for Durga Puja pandals this year. One puja committee in Chittaranjan Park turned to India’s new Parliament building for inspiration.
With a budget of around Rs 50 lakh, the committee at Block B of the locality, home to a large number of Bengalis, has built a 70-foot-tall pandal for the large number of visitors who come to Chittaranjan Park every year to celebrate West Bengal’s biggest annual festival.
“We have had Somnath Temple and even a model of Ram Mandir. This year, we thought, why not dedicate the pandal to the temple of our democracy? That is how we zeroed in on the new Parliament building,” says Amit Roy, president of the committee.
The front portion of the pandal is shaped like the main entrance to the new Parliament building. At the top of the doorway, there’s a replica of the national emblem with ‘Satyamev Jayate’ written underneath it. In the new Parliament building, the national emblem has been cast on top of the Central Foyer.
The standout feature, however, is a replica of the Sengol, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi installed in the new Parliament in May 2023.
The interior of the pandal pays homage to India’s leaders and kings with engraved artwork and images of icons like BR Ambedkar and Maratha king Shivaji. Additionally, a scene from the Samudra Manthan, an episode from the Hindu religious text Vishnu Purana, is also featured.
As many as 50 artisans and labourers have been working on the pandal since September 2023.
“It is our 48th year of organising Durga Puja, and as we approach our golden jubilee, our aim is to keep getting bigger and better,” says Roy.
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Creative ideas
The idea of building a pandal in the image of the new Parliament building was first proposed by puja committee general secretary Ashish Shome, and everyone agreed almost immediately. It fits the committee’s vision to have new and challenging pandal themes every year.
“This pandal design has not been attempted even in Kolkata. I am happy to be making it,” says Pankaj, a Bengali resident who came to Delhi about two months ago.
In the past, people even tried tying threads on the branches of a tree placed on a forest-themed pandal. Another year, the pandal was a replica of old heritage thakurbaris or zamindari houses of Bengal.
Krishna Chatterjee, executive member of the puja committee, recalls the terrible incident of 1978 when the entire pandal caught fire and the organisaiton incurred heavy losses. Managers of the other three pandals sent over their bhog to the B Block puja committee and cancelled their cultural programmes in solidarity.
Often called the ‘mini Bengal’ of Delhi, CR Park has four major puja pandals. This year, the mela ground has a Buddha-themed pandal.
In CR Park, Durga Puja planning starts in June. The B Block puja committee was one of the first to start the Bengali concept of theme-based, elaborate pandals. Now, it is a full-fledged creative competition.
Located roughly 400 metres away from CR Park Market No 1, the puja ground is sandwiched between houses on one side and a road on the other. With its own pit for idol immersion, a massive stage for cultural activities, and the usual food stalls, balloon hawkers, and toy sellers, the puja ground is a Bengali microcosm in itself.
“What people see on the final four days is actually the product of months of hard work and even sleepless nights. Pujo is an emotion,” says Sayan Acharya, a member of the committee.
Read for celebration
While CR Park is enveloped in the thick of festivities, some in the locality are nursing a long-term concern — that Gen Z Bengalis might not be willing to continue the tradition. Roy is close to retiring, having spent almost 33 years associated with the puja committee.
Pushkar Basu, a younger member of the committee, however, says that people are now participating in pandal hopping more than before. “Social media helps make it interesting and creative and get more young people to come and experience pujo,” says Pushkar.
As the evening draws closer, the committee members make a beeline for their tasks: Organising ananda mela or fair, packing the gifts for the planned competitions, supervising the people hard at work, designing the inner sanctum of the pandal where the idols of Durga and her children are placed.
A woman walks in to enquire about the dance competition in the evening. “The songs can only be in Bangla,” tells a committee member. The cultural programme is meant to promote Bengali through songs and dance performances. The programme runs alongside the puja celebrations and contributes to community building. Painting, conch shell blowing, alpana (floor art), and competitions are held on puja grounds.
“From Saptami till Dashami, the kitchens at our homes are closed. You will find us here,” says Krishna Chatterjee, as she hurries off for the preparations.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)