My KOLKATA BLOG

Theme-maker Prashanta Paul is creating a piece of peaceful village on the concrete of Maniktala Lalabagan Nabangkur Durga puja this year. Clay and bamboo are the main element of puja pandal. So, their catch line is: "মাটির টানে বাঁশের বাঁধনে উৎসব উঠবে জমে"। The image of debi Durga would be of a village bride. Hence, the visitors will feel the peace, happiness and simplicity of a rural village in the puja mandap of Maniktala Lalabagan Nabangkur. -- A. B.

Hi-tech 3D Durga will astonish viewers at Jodhpur Park Sharadiya Durgotsab Committee's puja. "ত্রিনয়নী" would be worshiped this year there in the form of 3D. This unique theme is being possible by the help of 3D printing machine. And the whole thing would be compiled by CAD-CAM process. CAD means Computer Aided Design and CAM means Computer Aided Manufacturing. Any form can be achieved by the help of 3D Scalpting Application. -- A. B. -- A. B.

Handicrafts of bamboo is being adopted by Durga Puja committee of Dum Dum Park Tarun Dal. This cottage industry is very old and hardly seen everywhere. "রং-এ বাঁশে জাল বুনি" is the theme and bamboo is the main element of pandal. Theme-maker Anirban Das is creating this theme. Large trees, peacocks, sea, coloured fishes, birds, wind-mill etc. would be made by bamboos. Beautiful colours will welcome visitors here. The idol of debi Durga will be traditional. Clay artist Parimal Paul is making the idol. Hence, on this 37th year, Dum Dum Park Tarun Dal's puja will surely attract viewers, they think. -- A. B.

Devotees are now visiting Goddess Kali at Firingi Kali Bari of Bowbazar to worship for this evening. -- A. B.

On this 77th year, theme-maker Shib Shankar Das is creating the theme "দেবীর মায়ায়, আলো-ছায়ায়" (seasonal change) for Kashi Bose Lane's Durga Puja. The diversity of Nature, its vividness, minute changes... pleasing... would be depicted in the theme. Sumantra Mukhopadhyay is making the clay idol of Debi Durga. Rajasthani touch would be there on the idol of Durga. The puja will start here on the day of Mahalaya. 9 brahmins will read 'Chandi' and would perform 'yagna' (যজ্ঞ). On the day of 'Nabami' 56 items of ''bhog' will be presented to Ma Durga. Kashi Bose Lane has already bagged about 250 nos. of prizes during this 77 years. So, they hope, this year also they'd bag several prizes. -- A. B.

By installation art, Sri Dipak Ghosh is creating the theme of Lake Gardens Peoples' Association's Durga Puja this year. He is working for them for continuous 13 years. It is their pre-diamond jubillee year. Dipak Ghosh is a renowned magician of thermocole. This year, his theme is "ওঁ অগ্ন্যায় স্বাহা"। Agni or fire is the God of rituals perform with fire (যজ্ঞ). And he conveys the presentations in ritual to heaven - it is the faith of Hindus. In spite of 'Agni's ferocious image, he is inevitable for common man. Agni is unavoidable for auspicious occasions and it has the power to cure diseases by remaining into the stomach. Theme-maker Dipak Ghosh earlier created replica of Dilwara temple for Jodhpur Park, Jaisalmer's Ludhruba temple for Lake Town Adhibasibrinda, Tridhara Sammilani's "at the land of Rajasthan", Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh for Suruchi Sangha etc. Asis Ghosh - the artist from Shantiniketan is creating the idol ...

On this 48th year of Durga Puja, Dum Dum Park Jubok Brinda has adopting the theme "আনন্দ যখন শক্তিময়" - after the killing of ill-image, auspicious moments emerge. Before entering into the pandal, the usual image of demon-killer Debi Durga will expose, and in the main pandal, the peaceful image of Ma Durga would be seen. Flowers and green plants will decorate the surroundings of puja mandap. Thermocole, foam etc would be the elements of pandal.The paint boxes, wooden batam, broken glasses would be used to decorate pandals. -- A. B.

On this 57th year's Durga Puja, Santoshpur Lake Pally is adopting a theme: "তিন ভাগ জল, এক ভাগ স্থল"। They've taken the venture to decorate pandal by about 20 Lakhs transparent plastic glasses and huge amount of costly seashells/oyster imported from foreign countries like Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and from Rameswaram and Kanya Kumari of India. Moreover, wool and fibre of vivid colour would be used to decorate the pandal. তিভাভাস্থ Sanjib Saha is the Theme-maker. The pandal would be designed as waves...one wave would be of plastic glasses, the other would be of wools, 3D effects would be there in the pandals. The feelings of under water scenes of sea would be the main attraction of this puja pandal. Parimal Pal of Kumortuli is the clay artist. The ornaments of Debi Durga will be decorated by Sanjib Saha. Precious pearls and oysters would be used to adorne Debi Durga. Moreover, a pavilion would be there to exhibit hundreds of oy...

Kolkata was the first capital of India during British Raj. Archaeological Survey Of India maintains many century-old monuments of the city like Asiatic Society, St. John's Church (Job Charnock's tomb is here), Metcalf Hall, Clive House, Portuguese Church at Ezra Street, the church for Jews at Brabourne Road, Bethel Synagogue and some other churches of Kolkata. In addition, they repaired Victoria Memorial, National Library and Jorasanko Thakurbari already. Hence, Kolkata should be declared as 'Heritage City'. -- A. B.

Theme-maker Rupchand Kundu (in the picture at his studio) is now busy to create the theme of 12th year's Durga Puja of Keshtapur Prafulla Kanan Pashchim Adhibasibrinda. Their theme of 2014 is "In Search Of Root" (শিকড়ের সন্ধানে). The root of mankind is remained in Nature, but being crushed in the grinder of mechanism - forgot about his root, his peace, his happiness. Rupchand Kundu has picked the theme to inform us about the root. The puja committee has started the pandal about 5 months ago. Surrounded pulls and bushes helped them to create perfect theme. Plantation of trees has started already there for this purpose. The image of Ma Durga will emerge from the root and will disappear within that root. The root has vivid hues - sometimes magical, sometimes furious, and sometimes mysterious. The elements of pandals are wood, clay and root. The idol of Debi Durga would be made of wood. The colour 'Green' will be used in the pandal effectively. -- A....

Ma Durga will come this year by boat. Hence, the Bengal would flourish with crops. But, the weather office is warning us that during the festival of Durga Puja, Bengal would have to face rains heavily. Monsoon has come late. So, it would leave us lately. And, 10th October, the usual date of monsoon to say 'good bye' to Bengal fall after the puja. Therefore, the organisers of Durga Puja in Kolkata are going to prepare puja pandals in such a manner that it would combat rains. Some puja committees are taking 'water' as their theme and some utilising a few elements in such way that the pandals will "flourish" during rains and its beauty would reveal to all. So, don't worry, prepare yourself to hop pandals and determine your favourite Puja pandals, select the best Durga in your opinion, and inform it at http://priyopujo.com -- A. B.

Satyajit Ray shoot the long scene of train by creating a fake train (the credit goes to art director Bangshi Chandra Gupta) for the film "Nayak". Sandip Ray too adopted a fake train to shoot scenes of his telefilm "Bakso Rahasya". But, this time, for the shooting of his new feature film "Badshahi Aangti' Sandip Ray has taken the help of a real train at Chitpur Rail Yard. Recently, some important scenes of this film shoot inside a rail compartment there. "Baba Pabitrananda Swami" of the story of this film boarded on the train with his followers. He was in the same coach where Feluda (Aabir Chatterjee), Topse (Sourav), Father of Topse (Dipankar Dey) and Mr. Srivastav (Bharat Kaul) were present. It was Doon express and the train was suppose to go to Hardwar from Lucknow. Fake sanyasi, real sanyasi, mysterious attache case, the threat by the chit written "খুব হুঁশিয়ার", the missing of Aurangzeb's ring - all the incidents mad...

Today is Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, being celebrated accross the country with joy and happiness. In West Bengal, Janmashtami is being celebrated by fasting and worship of lord Krishna until midnight. Purana Pravachana from the Bhagavata Purana are recited from the 10th Skandha. This section deals with pastimes of Krishna. The next day is called "Nanda Utsav" or the joyous celebration of Krishna's foster parents Nanda and Yashoda. On this day, people break their fast and offer various cooked sweets during the early hours. -- A. B.

Thakur Sri Sri Ramakrishna was died at the age of 50 on 16 August, 1886 in Kolkata. This auspicious day is being observed with due reverence, love and respect. -- A. B.

Today is 68th Independence day of India. After the national flag hoisting ceremony, the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Sri Narendra Modi is now addressing the nation from Red Fort, New Delhi. -- A. B.

The painted clay idols of Debi Durga are wrapped in plastic sheets top to bottom. Extra cover of plastic sheets are also being used to save the clay idols from rain inside the tile-rooms of Kumortuli. Even, in front of veranda, long veil is being used. It is the monsoon season and occasional rain wet Kolkata regularly. So, the clay artists are facing difficulties to prepare the images of Debi Durga. Hence, they're now dependent on plastic sheets. It is time to paint the idols as Durga Puja is 50 days to go. And once the idols are painted, they should be kept dry at any cost. If the idols are come in touch of water, not only the paints damage, the whole idol may be cancelled. Therefore, the artists of Kumortuli are painting the idols by adopting special care. -- A. B.

Today is Rakhi-Bandhan or Raksha Bandhan celebration accross the country. It is the festival of love, blessings, unity and relationship. In the year 1905, during the movement of partition, Rabindranath Tagore took part in the movement and campaigned against the partition of Bengal by celebration of Rakhi-Bandhan utsav and his song in the praise of Bengal "Banglar mati banglar jol... " -- A. B.

According to Bangla calendar, today is 22 Shravan - 73rd death anniversary of the great poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). The first picture is of the poet, situated at Jorasanko Thakurbari. And the last three pictures are of the room at Jorasanko Thakurbari, where the poet breathed his lasts. The nation is paying homage to Tagore today. -- A. B.