A brand new year for the Bengalis
has commenced announcing the advent of the muggy summers. The neighbourhood
Puja chronicler is back with about 12 weeks to go for this year’s ballyhoo.
Similar to last season will build the countdown up with a detailed photo review
of the “year that was”. As we had suspected the 2017 Pujas, being right in the
heart of retreating monsoons were marred by intermittent showers throughout the
span of the festivities. September also meant that humidity was almost at its
max levels and Bengal was experiencing a searing heat wave. Since a major part
of the preparatory period leading up to Devi Pakkha was also blemished by
showers, a lot of Committees had to really slog their asses off to complete the
Mandap structures and designing. All this while I was slightly sceptical about
how the Pujas would come out to be, keeping in mind the fact that the city
hadn’t quite got into the festive groove in the otherwise bland September and
moreover, owing to the GST fracas generic sponsorships were also hard to come
by causing reasonable flutters in the Puja Committee coffers. All these put
together, I had my fingers tightly crossed about not only the crowd turnouts as
well as the quality of artworks. Thankfully I was to be proved undeniably wrong.
After all, when have rains impeded the Puja-maniac Bengalis. After ages, I saw
some of the biggest crowds on Ashtami/Nabami nights which incidentally I failed
to manipulate and get in to a few of the Mandaps and in spite of the heavy
downpours almost all days, the revelries continued unabated for almost a full
week.
Promotions for the year started
well ahead of time, in fact a few of the organisers had put up their digital
teasers as early as January 2017. The outdoor campaigns followed suit soon after.
As I’ve observed over the past few years most of the teaser campaigns have been
based on clever jugglery of vernacular phrases/words which give a foretaste of
what the thematic displays might represent. One of the pioneers of Puja
Campaigns, Bosepukur Sitalamandir has seldom used path-breaking methods to
associate variety of brands with its Puja. Most of their campaigns are
end-to-end with elaborate teasers preceding co-branded Mandap designs and
imagery. In earlier years we have seen Bosepukur Sitalamandir orchestrate co-branded
campaigns with Parle and ABP Weddings which have grabbed the attention of the
audience from well ahead of the festive season. This year saw them tie up with
Skipper PVC Pipes as the primary sponsors and also the suppliers of the main
constituent of the Mandap’s structural design. The organisers used most outdoor
platforms like banners, transit media units, cut-outs, retail gate branding
units, traffic guard media, among others to splash the city with co-branded
teasers that broadcasted their theme – “Uma’r Bari” or Devi’s Abode. The end
product though was a bit of a watershed but I guess the promotional campaign
did its job. The other palpably visible campaign was the “Jaatey Metal Taaley
Thik” teaser from the Ballygunge Cultural Association stable. This catchy
teaser was a wily play of words derived out of a popular Bengali idiom. The
campaign gave a sneak preview of the generic ideation of the theme, which was
based around “something Metallic”. The organisers placed banners at strategic
locations across the city to create the much deserved hype and hoopla. A crisp digital
drive also complemented the outdoor push, propelling a well-rounded & discernable
campaign.
Coming to the actual days of
festivities, heavy showers notwithstanding my Puja Parikramas took me to the
farthest corners of Kolkata, from Joka to Jora Mandir & from Pathuriaghata
to Patuli.... from serpentine by-lanes to Parks... like every year, there were
some exquisite exhibits which enthralled every section of the audience while
some were bizarre bummers.... we’ll try and take a look at most of them through
my lens though the most obvious caveat would be that all opinions are
absolutely my own personal POV…
Bloopers of the Year
Badamtala Ashaar Sangha
Well, well... what's that?? a
bird... an aircraft.... an alien arrival.... nopes, that's the Devi and her
wards on a rare Flight Mode!!!.... a Bizarre Brigade candidate spotted here,
for sure.... Shakti Sharma's forest scene with the Dominatrix touching down on
a Flying Lion (new species for wildlife lovers) is kinda weird to put it
mildly.... Unfortunately from time to time, Behala throws up such
buffoonery amongst all the good stuff....
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| The Half Facial Buddha Facade as the Entrance |
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| The Bamboozling Imagery Set-up |
Halsibagan Sarbojanin
This Club has appeared on my Puja
Razzies list for the most number of times.... this year too, they do not miss
the podium… A grotesque ode to our beloved CM's hobbyhorses - Kanyasree Project & Bishwo Bangla
forming the base idea of the thematic display which sadly was as lacklustre and
irrelevant as it could get… a file of female visages creating a canopy flanked
by artworks illustrating atrocities on women led to the main Mandap.... The
image, pretty much disappointing with the Hulk Demon as the cynosure offering
his apologies for his unholy sins or just the lack of creativity... hence a sad
meltdown for the audience, in general.
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| The extravagantly gory Entrance |
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| The Grostesque Artwork on the Walk-through |
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| The apologetic Hulk Demon |
Hatibagan Nabin Palli
A sense of drabness engulfs the
entire premise here and hence almost nothing to write home about this Kamaldeep
Dhar creation. Most of the Mandap was marred by isolated disparate
installations which appear like sore thumbs along the walk through. The usage
of fluorescent colours on the artworks without proper backlighting also spelt
doom especially when viewed during day hours. The entire pavilion looked a
horribly unfinished product.
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| The drab Entrance to the main Pavillion |
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| A no-frills Corridor leading to the Mandap |
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| The nondescript Idol |
ANTI CLIMAXES OF THE YEAR
33 Palli, Kankurgachhi
Yet another abstract and
non-representational Installation by Shibshankar Das.... after 2016's tryst with
Yellow Cabs, this time he experimented with Bicycles and its various spare
parts, in keeping with the theme - "Jeebon Chakra" or Life Cycle....
the core of the pavilion is adorned in striking fluorescent colours, while the
walls and even neighbourhood houses carry cleverly mounted bicycles.... A novel
effort though slightly underwhelming…
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| Exterior Facade of the Mandap |
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| The Loud usage of Fluorescence |
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| Bicycle Installations mounted across the Pavillion |
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| Devi seated atop a Predator-esque Asura Skull |
Avenue South Palli Mangal Samity
Generally there’s always a sense
of expectation from Puja Committee’s who have given us crackerjacks the
previous year… a similar sort of expectant build up came through for this
committee after a stupendous 2016, especially with the same artiste at the helm
this year too. Rintu Das used the catchy mnemonic of "Fau" or Free
Stuff here as he captures the allegorical sentiments of Roadside Hawkers,
prevalent across Kolkata, through various elements like Cheap Apparels,
Hangers, Half-busted Mannequins, Wrapping Boxes, etc. Execution was definitely a
bit on the clumsier side with props used overtly while the décor & the
colour schemes were tad over the top… Quirkiness was stretched just wee more
than enough… Moreover, a disinterested countenance of the idol summed up a major
disappointment of sorts.
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| A wide spectrum of multi-coloured hang outs as the Frontage |
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| The Package boxes & half-busted Mannequins form one of the Walls |
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| Wall exhibiting props showcasing street peddling |
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| Devi in her conciliatory Avatar |
Kashi Bose Lane Sarbojanin
On
their 80th edition of this iconic North Kolkata committee, they took us down the
memory lane through Pradip Das’ thematic representation – ABOHO (Sound). Encapsulating myriad sound bytes connected with
the festival and the rich heritage of the neighbourhood, the artist had concentrated
a lot on the soundscape, with radio being an integral part of it. The portrayal
was of a grand concert happening before the Goddess. Musical instruments
or accompaniments required for producing melody created with ply &
fiberglass, recreated a bygone era while the pavilion threw light on North
Kolkata’s prolific musical legacy… Along with this many other classical elements
distinct to this older part of the megapolis — the shuttered-windows… hanging
verandahs… lavish porticos and the woodwork, evoking pure nostalgia had been
captured here… even though the scope of the presentation was pretty
extravagant, the execution fell short of being excellent.
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| The entrance resembled a headphone ushering into a World of Sound |
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| The Orchestra playing to a Divine audience |
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| The Pompous Devi |
Naktala Udayan Sangha
Technology has evolved
exponentially and with passage of time its only appropriate that it would get
married into exhibition art forms and pop culture. Durga Puja, being the
biggest form of street art in this part of the world, is fast catching up with
the changing times. Susanta Pal is one of the leading conceptualisers who, over
the last few years, has generally used an inclusively audio-visual experience
through his exhibits.... he's definitely
one of the guys who's taking Kolkata Pujas to an entirely different level in
terms of creativity & use of technology.... here, he displayed the image
though Multi-Dimensional Projection where the imagery swapped into various
appearances in rotation within a sea of Pink.... it was a novelty, no doubt but
being fundamentally an old school Puja enthusiast I'd love my Durga to be in
her traditional forms.... people might & probably would have liked the
fluttering-eyed image but as far as I'm concerned, bit of a dampener and obviously
a let down.
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| A Sea of Pink Interiors |
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| The Techno Imagery devoid of Soul |
FINEST OF THE YEAR
25 Palli, Khiderpore (Khnuti Pujo
Theke by Rintu Das)
Installation Facade created by
Bamboo structuring is the cynosure of the pavilion.... a Rintu Das masterpiece showcasing
the journey of Maa Durga - from Khnuti Pujo to Kumartuli to the ultimate Darshan…
the random scene inside the pavilion depicting Durga Image being taken to her
temporary abode in a Kolkata locality, is the high point of the exhibit.... the primary ingredients of the Mandap were
spectacles and frames which also formed the primary props of this Mandap....
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| The Buddha Impression on the Bamboo Framework forming the cynosure of the Main Pavilion |
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| The scene capturing Devi taken to her makeshift homes by the labourers |
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| The Ceiling created by eyeballs which depicted all attention on the Devi during the festivities |
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| The excellent Idol complementing the entire Display |
41 Palli, Haridevpur (Amraa
Manobikotaay by Gourango Kuilya)
The Puja committee opted to broadcast
messages of peace and harmony through its theme “Amraa Manobikotay’ (Here for Humanity).
The installed rainbow at the entrance of the pandal connoted seven religions
while inside the Mandap, the arms of a giant octopus have been created…. each
arm denoting one religion, and every arm trying to get hold of foetuses of the
unborn to exemplify the fact that religion is the bane for all anarchy. An
excellent piece of artwork depicting the sad socio-political scenario around
us.
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| Installations depicting the Divisiveness of Religion |
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| Central Installation of a Uteral activity and the volatility of the World around us |
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| The stunning Devi & her wards in Copper Embellishments |
Ajeyo Sanhati (Shakti Roopeno by
Bimal Samanta)
Unique in abstract installation made
with almost everything you could think of coming from a junkyard. The blooming
face of the idol lit up the Mandap made from all kinds of metal waste. A delectable
canvas which portrayed the transformation of litter to lavish showpiece.
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| Ceiling created by Cycle Wheels |
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Mandap Walls fabricated with Different
types of Fans |
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| Pandal Artwork made with Scrap |
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| Superlative Imagery |
Baghajatin Tarun Sangha
(Bhakti'tei Shakti by Prasanta Pal)
Prasanta Pal created a sublime
experience on Red Plaster, giving it a rustic primeval feel.... scenes from
Hindu myths were etched on the wall across the length & breadth of the
Mandap.... Deity was also designed similar to the dark, dusky tenor of the
entire pavilion.... all in all a fantastic combination….
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| The Installation artwork at the Entrance |
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| Walls etched with scenes from Hindu Myths |
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| Frescos all across the Mandap |
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| The Idol mimicking dark Basaltic Carvings chiseled on Rock surface |
Chetla Agrani (Awntoheen by
Bhabatosh Sutar)
To
celebrate their silver jubilee, the acclaimed artiste had chucked clay and
carved Goddess Durga on Mahogany logs. Logistics used inside the Pandal were three
kinds of woods and ply. The entire Mandap was chequered with artworks and engravings
easily reminiscent of ancient Indian architecture. The epitome of grandiose....
Any photographer's delight.... A resplendent blend of red & gold with a
splash of green….
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| Hymns etched on the Walls |
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| Domed Sanctum inside the Mandap |
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| The Showstopper Devi carved on a Mahogany Log |
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| Idol Close up |
Kalighat Milan Sangha (Dhawra'r
Reeti, Sampriti by Soumik/Piyali Sadhukhan)
Nalin Sarkar Street Sarbojanin
(Maa Tumi Kaar by Rintu Das)
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| The Rustic Devi Image |
Salimpur Palli (Onurawnon by
Biswanath De)
Demonstrating grandeur in its
truest sense through this thematic display exhibiting Resonance of Sound that
is deep, filling and reverberating… the Red & Mat Gold combo has
always been a winner and this is no exception.... the use of wood, the use of
bounced and softened light, created an amazing atmosphere… designs across the
Mandap illustrate musical notes & instruments resonating harmony thus
exuding majesty & pomp.... Top Draw effort all over.... Quite a
stunner!
Tala Park Protyoy (Mon by
Debasish Barui)
This Club from the Northern edges
of the city probably outdid their far more popular neighbours.... the artiste
created an impression of the Human Mind in this primarily abstract theme....
the lavish interiors were stylized in a combination of baroque &
traditional structural forms, in shades of dark blue and aquamarine was
extremely chic and very contemporary & trendy.... the chandelier with
teardrop shaped bulbs was definitely a standout... the Idol in her pacific
avatar was arguably one of the best for year, too
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| The Tear drop Chandelier was the clear Showstopper |
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| Elaborate Structural Designs with Metal Pipes |
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| The extensive Hallway with Baroque architectural impressions |
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| Idol in her non-combative version was a treat for sore eyes |
Tridhara Sammelani (Morokey
Manush by Gouranga Kuilya)
The theme, “Nature destroyed by
urbanisation” emphasized the need to preserve nature for not just humans but
also animals & birds. The blue Pandal and the golden-coloured
idol of the Goddess gave it a heavenly appearance. Artist tried to show how over
the ages, the Mother Nature has been devoured by concrete structures. The
interiors of the pandal were dark toned with an ambiguous smoky sky. The
installations were primarily created with various types of Product boxes &
wrappers making it a superb exhibition with an avant-garde & futuristic
colour palette.... The invading darkness of blatant urbanisation has replaced
the Mahisasura. Instead of weapons the Mother was seen carrying green saplings
as source of reform… the background music for a change was also extremely
engaging...
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| Fabricated Umbrellas in the form of Bats decorate the Passageway leading to the Sanctum |
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| Installation of Packing boxes of Various Sizes creating a Surreal Tenor |
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| A Nuovo Colour Pallete of the entire Mandap |
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| Devi in Golden Hues |
wonderful
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