Pujas 2021 - The Year of Revival... A Review

I’ve never quite been able to handle the speed at which Durga Pujas whizz past you and before you can bat an eyelid it’s just done and dusted…. These 7 days of festivities for any Kolkatan like me, go past at breakneck pace… from Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s evocative chants on the Mahalaya dawn… to the Devi Chokkhudaan… to the inauguration of Mandaps & the reverberating drumrolls… to the Parikramas… and finally to Bijoya Dashami… almost everything launch & culminate in a jiffy…. When I sit back generally to dwell on the celebrations, more often than not it is already well past Debi Pakkha where the Mandaps wear a forlorn look with illuminations off and the deity having left for her heavenly abode…. This had been a tough year for almost everybody, and I had sincerely thought that Durga Puja week would offer you reasonable breathing time to absorb & muse over it…. But like each year, it came and went like The Flash or The Quicksilver…. And probably that’s the truest ingenuity of this Festival…. The more you try to prolong it or broaden the scope, it still remains elusive and you keep lamenting about the fact that it wasn’t enough and there surely could have been space for more…

That’s the Devi for everybody… artful yet indefinable… a true Shero!

The Parikramas were pretty muted due to the Government sanctions, a perpetual rain threat and a largely uninterested kiddo… the coverage was limited and so were my Parikrama accomplices… some of my clicks were long range clicks where our Press Cards or acquaintances did not quite work!! How I sorely missed those VIP Passes!!!...

This was a year of resurrection, from nadirs of the global pandemic with the populace just trying to come to terms with newest delusions of life. The creativity continued unabated and even with smaller share of available funds, I think this was a above par year considering the strict regulations on Mandap design & viewing restrictions…. Some really thought-provoking themes, some gorgeous Idols, some brilliant pavilions… this year had everything… from the Burj to the Burlesque… from contemporary to the innovative…from traditional to the nouveau… hence, the selection was a tough job…    

THE BLOOPERS OF THE YEAR

Haridevpur New Sporting

Purnendu De's "Bolmeek" was an ensemble Anthill!!!... Weird as it might sound or look, the Mandap was an eerie expanse of unimaginative bumps bestrewn with creepy mushroom fungi.... Although Anthills are considered sacred in rural (South) India where Food items are kept beside anthills and they are often found decorated with vermillion, the execution here was more of a juvenile art project…. the deity wedged in an obscure cavern, looked more like a craft pulp, and only after attentive scrutiny you could make some sense on the shape and appearance of the idols.... Personally I did not find any justifiable logic behind this display... One for the Bloopers board!

The Anthill-y Landscape

The Fungi Props

Idols in pulpy obscurity

Nagarik Kalyan Samity

Cycle Vans were once a ubiquitous mode of intra-city logistic..., While they are still an intrinsic feature of Kolkata’s daily imagery, the fleet has been almost halved due to advent of mechanised transportation… These old school vehicles don’t have a specific parking space and they are seen splattered across the city lanes and sidewalks. During the festive season, when most of the trading is muted, these cycle vans that mostly sit idle have to be vacated from their makeshift parking plots to elsewhere to make space for the makeshift abodes of the Goddess. Dipanjan De’s well drafted ideation “Jeebon Jatra” sadly did not meet a quality execution. Cycle Vans strewn on the foreground with Mandap façade decorated with components of those vans could not spruce up the imagery. The illuminations primarily in fuchsia were also a major letdown.

Mandap Facade created by Cycle Carts

Cloddish Sanctum with too many Colours and Props

Telengabagan Sarbojanin

A theme which was influenced by the Pandemic. During the Corona outbreak, there was a cry for oxygen across the country. And there was a generic feeling that if we had enough Oxygen Plants we wouldn’t have ended up losing so many of our beloved ones. Abhijit Ghatak set up an Oxygen Plant to vindicate this thought. The Mandap had an overall workshop façade with asbestos and ply fabrications. A caged heart on a winch and an oxygen level measuring device were couple of props used in a loosely done up assemblage. The imagery could not really provide any quality semblance behind the ideation. Sadly seemed more of a promo gimmick than pure art. 

Entry to the Oxygen Plant

The Props spread across the Mandap 

The Sanctum Shack 

Seat of the Idol

THE ANTI CLIMAXES OF THE YEAR

33 Palli, Beleghata

The dreadful stigma of Corona days was designer – Shibsankar Das’ depiction through the theme “Mukti’r Awelindey”. During the pandemic, all forms of media were inundated with news of bereavements and fatality and for the humanity who were cocooned in their homes, these broadcasts caused more negativity thus pushing the world into severe depression. These miserable days were highlighted by decorating the mandap with television sets and adjacent houses being wrapped in newsprint. Newspapers churning out daily updates on deaths and the raging epidemic from the printing machine could be seen in the pavilion. A lot was illustrated as a premise, and a lot was said in abstraction but somehow could not be easily interpreted. An honest effort missing the mark.

The Site-Specific Galleria style Pandal which was unnecessarily overlit up

Installations of a Newspaper Priniting Machine and Wall of TVs 

Idol seated at a Traditional Portico   

Jagat Mukherjee Park

Departed Poet Sankha Ghosh’s couplet – “Aaye Aaro Haathey Haath Rekhe, Aaye Aaaro Bnedhe Bnedhe Thaaki….” formed the cusp of the thought and design. This was also a tribute to the poet who passed away due to Corona a few months ago. The realization that people must withstand this pandemic together physically, financially and mentally was corroborated through models fabricated in hand-spun bamboo fibre ropes. Illuminations and decorations were liminal, and could not really push the artistic envelope.

A Minimalistic Set up cordoned by figurines created with interlaced Bamboo Ropes 

The Beautiful Image

 Samaj Sebi Sangha

Was it a Camera Lens, was it a Space Shuttle Port-hole... neither!!.... it was Bimal Samanta's installation art labeled as "Onno Knuwaasha" (A Strange Mist).... the artiste used most articles/gadgets that are generally ubiquitous in any of our households.... the ideation involved the fact that lockdown stretched far lengthier than we had first anticipated... the daily lives for the entire population was curbed due to panic which has driven all of us into a smoggy situation... Durga Puja tend to be that window offering an escape from that murky gloom.... the deity was in her bright splendour emitting hope amidst the disease and stupor…

The Pandal Installed with Daily Articles looked similar to a Lens

You had to peep inside the Lens Port-hole
to get a glimpse of the Deity 

THE FINEST OF THE YEAR

21 Palli, Ballygunge (Monoshkaamona by Bapai Sen)

Flat wide facade Mandaps are a rarity, and thus carry a tinge of novelty.... Bapai Sen's "Monoskaamona" was an ode to Bengal's age-old ritual of paying homage through traditional hand-made clay dolls (Tepa Putul) and Alpona Art.... the colour combo was a pretty rustic one without being too drab.... the interiors were plush with around 10000 terracotta dolls, nimble wall Alpona motifs interspersed with gleaming lights..... the ceiling had dangling clay dolls which made the environ dynamic and buoyant..... the clayey deity was a scorcher!!..

The Flat-structured sanctum in shades of Light Blue and Ash 

Olai Chandi Altar at the entrance

Sparsely lit interiors, with a rainshower effect

Splendid Imagery

Ajeyo Sanhati (Dugga Elo, Dekhbo Chawlo by Dipanjan De)

Sometimes themes go beyond creative finesse, it goes beyond the periphery of artistic calibre.... some themes are just simple stories narrated by the Designer without any unnecessary flourish.... Dipanjan De's "Dugga Elo, Dekhbo Chawlo" was such a tale where he showcased that fleeting moment when the Devi is brought to the Mandaps.... A man with his kids on a cycle gazing at the Idols disembarking from the Truck on a late evening and the unfinished Mandap getting its final touches before the fanfare was an emotion brilliantly captured... the snack stalls almost set, whilst the arena had adverts from all the classic Bengal Brands... a whiff of nostalgia, a trace of recollection... one of a kind!!

An old school Puja environment displayed with traditional Bengal Brands
featured across the Mandap 

Last Minute Decorations in the Mandap captured as a Still Image

Kids with their Father on a passing Bicycle gazing at the Mandap was a beautiful sight

An ensemble family giving finishing touches to the Deity

Barisha Club (Bhaag’er Maa by Rintu Das)

Rintu Das weaved magic through his theme - "Bhaag'er Maa" or The Mother, Divided... this was loosely based on the various apprehensions regarding National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the refugee crisis thereon... The Mandap was split into 2 sections of India and Bangladesh, while the medial space was depicted as the 'No Man's Land' between the 2 countries... A woman who has been forced to leave home with her children and belongings seen in a detention van forms the centerpiece.... The sculpture by Debayan Pramanik was seen holding on to an idol of Durga while her kids seek refuge behind her... Old trunks with household items, dusty portraits, barbed wires and milestones formed the backdrop of the pandal.... Dangling from the ceiling were gloomy portraits of people, ration/voter cards and “D” cards, signifying “doubtful citizens”... there was intentional absence of any bold colours, the look & feel was very muted and greys had been used extensively.... a soulful story narrated sublimely...

Galleria set up used for the Display

Cross section of a makeshift migrant dwelling 

Poignant motif of a Migrant Family representing the Deity

Dumdum Park Sarbojanin (Awebonawmon by Krishanu Pal)

"Awebonawmon" was an effort to express the depression residing in an artiste's studio.... Designer, Krishanu Pal had set up this exhibit to symbolically showcase the disillusionments that an artiste has to constantly undergo during a process of creative development... the road to ingenuity has always been a grueling affair for an artiste and studio becomes a witness to such an affair... A metaphysical dissertation of a tough state of mind.... the sliding walls, unfinished clay busts, disheveled furniture were all snapshots which have built up the Designer's impressionable presentation.... a profoundly emotional display... the only bummer was the low light exposures even during the day which sullies the viewer experience...

The Mandap Facade resembling a run down Artiste Studio

A disheveled interior conveying an unhinged mindspace of the Artiste

The Walls reflecting daily ruminations 

Devi in her deglam version

Kankurgachhi Jubak Brindo (Jatra Shuru by Pradip Das)

Designers have started exploring thematic stories which are essayed from entry to exit of a Mandap.... Pradip Das composed this masterful act that took the audience through the experience of Jatra or Bengal's own folk theatre.... coined as "Jatra Shuru", the display exhibited this native pop-culture in a surreal form.... the entrance had the face of Jatra icon Chapal Bhaduri welcoming the viewers while the foyer was lined up with offices of various Jatra Groups... the background public addresses were stereotypical of Jatra announcements.... a bevy of loud, colourful banners of cult Bangla Jatra's across years and their revered protagonists were plastered all across the pavilion.... the main sanctum resembled a rostrum where the idols were placed on crew chests.... the idols also created an enigmatic dramatisation, as if staging a Mahisasur Mardini act... an absolute peach of an exhibit..

Chapal Bhaduri motif at the Entrance

Popular Jatra Posters and Cut-outs as Props 

Decors carry an exaggerated Colour Tone 

The Deities were placed on a Proscenium Arch

Naktala Udayan Sangha (Chawlo Chitro by Pradip Das/Bhabotosh Sutar)

Pradip Das painted a beautiful illustration of Bengal's partition in his concept - "Chawlo Chitro".... a story was woven on a wide canvas, where the trauma of a nation splitting up and crores of Bengalis having to abandon their ancestral homes was exemplified... the Mandap set up drew inspiration from Khushwant Singh's 'Last Train to Pakistan' and 'Neelkantho Pakhir Khoj' by Atin Bandyopadhyaya... a dilapidated home with a forlorn Durga created by Bhabatosh Sutar, with a train about to leave with belongings piled up was a poignant snapshot that touched hearts.... the under-construction building on the background was cleverly masked to give a shambly facade... as for us Guha Roys, a shot of the milestone "Barisal 252.6 km" bears a grim memory of my forefathers who had seen similar fate, having to leave their birthplace overnight... battered, scathed & scarred for life.... one of the best for the Season without any doubt.

A Rundown facade as the Entrance

A waiting Coach with luggage atop showcasing partition exodus

Milestones denoting homes left behind

The deserted homes showcasing a painful departure

Deity seated at a Portico

Bhabotosh Sutar's Work of Art  

Nalin Sarkar Street Sarbojanin (Phiriye Daao Tuli’r Taan by Manas Das)

Currently in this age of digital art/design, the era of hand painted advertisements & promotional items seems to be conveniently forgotten... unlike the graphically produced flex banners, there was a time when the city used to be inundated with hand-crafted advertisements & movie cut outs.... Manas Das' "Phiriye Dao Tuli's Taan" tried to bring back those golden memories where each such promotional item used to have a personalised touch... the artiste used the entire locality for this theme work reminding the audience of a magic that a quaint paintbrush could create.... interesting concept, skillfully accomplished.

Recreating the lost art of hand painted Movie Posters and Ardvertising Billboards

A Glimpse of the Studio with unfinished Artworks 

Walls of neighbouring buildings also draped in some of those cult signboards which have
now faded into obscurity 

A Studio shed as Devi's sanctum

Pally Sharodiya (Obhijojawn by Raju Sarkar)

Futuristic themes might sound a bit off the radar, but when an artiste contrives a global crisis into his thematic storylines it becomes a completely different ball game... the long term environmental impact of low lying Kolkata getting submerged due to rising sea levels is something all of us are aware of.... Raju Sarkar's presentation "Obhijojan" (The Adaptation) created a futuristic Khiderpore area with shanties/huts built on high stilts to counter inundation.... a glimpse of how people would be destined to survive during such a situation.... the use of lifebuoys, safety rings denoted the ways people might have to refashion their lives amidst imminent crisis... the reflection on the water in front of the idol was a photographer's delight.... a very relevant future life hazard showcased appropriately.

Shacks on Stilts

Sanctum of Shanties with Rubber Tubes signifying the threat of rising Water Levels 

Reflection of the Deity on the overlooking Pool  

Rajdanga Naboday Sangha (Collage by Moloy/Subhomoy/Subrata Banerjee)

Abstract impression is amongst the most difficult tasks to execute in a massy art exhibit.... the tuning of that conjectured thought and the end product have to be in perfect symphony to create a lasting memory.... the designer duo, Moloy/Subhomoy recorded a frame of imagery of Bengal's rural Durga Puja... the setting was replete with installations of Kans Grass or the quintessential Kaash Phool, a constant in upcountry Bengal during autumn.... and the meshworked Dhunuchi as the centerpiece... the snapshot of a deity in her Sholaa (Sponge Wood) attire being worshipped in a classical villa.... all humble pieces of snippets which assembled together formed the artiste's portrayal of a bucolic Durga Puja... the overall presentation was aptly given a Movie Director's perspective with the "Framing Hand" installation... brilliantly construed, and even better accomplished.... Subrata Banerjee's idol is a wonder, no doubt....

The Mandap captured through a "Framing Hand" Installation

Mandap showcasing a Puja in the Bengal countryside flanked with Kans Grass (Kaash Phool)

The Wood-meshed Dhunuchi as the Centerpiece 

Image Close Up

Shyama Palli (Bhaangon by Abhijit Ghatak)

Every year, Bay of Bengal claims back land mass from the our coasts by throwing at us heavy monsoonal rains and a couple of customary super cyclones.... the areas in & around Sunderbans are consistently ravaged and devastated beyond restoration... the people living there brave these disasters as a matter of habitual destiny.... Abhijit Ghatak's "Bhaangon" captured a snapshot of such a waterfront neighbourhood bearing a disconsolate look... the makeshift plywood shacks, the unfinished Mandap canopy, fluttering tarpaulins and a waiting Relief Truck covered all images complementing the theme.... the absolutely open Deity in dark clay texture on a stripped altar is evocative and hard-hitting in every sense....

The Narrow Walkway leading to the Mandap

A Showcase of the Annual Ransacking caused by Monsoonal Storms

Devi installed in an unkempt Shade with the quintessential coastal lodges in the background  

BEST IDOL OF THE YEAR

Kashi Bose Lane (Adity Chakraborty)

The Theme “Awepurna” dealt with various imperfections of our civilization that make the cycle of life even more distinguished and memorable. The pandemic is such an instance in our modern history that stood out showcasing millions of lives lost, and yet the humanity withstood the pain & the fatalities with a lot of strength in character and grace… The image by Adity Chakraborty was radiant and emanated a discerning glow… the dark green backdrop provided adequate drama to the lithe deity… an extremely beautiful work of art….

Devi seated under a meshed Dome

A perfect blend of Realism and Tradition

Close up of the Idol

As I've mentioned multiple times, all the reviews are my individual opinions and are open to be refuted and discussed... I have seen Pujas from my own personal lens and the above views are just a listicle of my observations... Again this was a year in the truest sense, of Revival from the dreaded pandemic with a lot of Puja committees still trying to deal with a lot of hurdles... Do feel free to leave your observations, rankings (if any) and feedback in the comments section for me to go through....