8 months ago
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The coconut, not lone integral to Hindu rituals including the ones followed successful Durga Puja but besides the cardinal constituent of a saccharine served during this clip of the twelvemonth successful Bengal, happens to beryllium the taxable of 1 of the pandals successful Kolkata promoting sustainability. More than 2,000 discarded coconut shells person been utilized successful the decoration of this pandal, located successful the neighbourhood of Topsia.
“The full operation and decoration are an ode to the versatility of the coconut tree, which provides food, drink, shelter, fibre, fuel, and countless materials for accepted and modern uses. Coconut shells, coir, dried leaves, and husk person been utilized to decorate the space, making it look earthy and an ethereal location for Goddess Durga,” said installation decorator Sujata Chatterjee astir the pandal.
“We are calling the pandal Nariyal Katha. It has been designed to springiness visitors the consciousness of stepping wrong a coconut — a symbolic womb of nature, nurture, and nourishment. It serves arsenic a existent reminder of sustainability, for it is not lone constructed of eco-friendly materials but is, successful fact, a zero-waste installation, wherever each portion volition again beryllium reused oregon repurposed,” Ms. Chatterjee, an technologist by qualification, said.
In the pandal, coconut shells/bowls person been utilized for lights; breached coconut pieces for inheritance artwork; coconut husk for exterior decorations; coconut ammunition jewellery for the goddess and her children; dried coconut leaves arsenic crowns; coconut ropes and leaves for wrong décor; and coconut leafage stalk for asura’s neckpiece.
“The thought struck portion I was distributing narkel naru (coconut sweet) during Bijoya aft past year’s Durga Puja. We spot the coconut connected the cookware during each ritual, we interruption the coconut whenever we bargain thing caller oregon commencement a caller project, we administer narkel naru during blessed occasions, yet the coconut ne'er seemed to get the item it deserved,” she said.
“The plan started astir 10 months back, and the past 3 to 4 months were engaged successful hands-on work. Every component, from the patterns connected the partition to the chandelier lights connected the ceiling to the jewellery connected the goddess, has been hand-crafted. It was peculiarly time-consuming to alteration much than 2,000 discarded shells, collected from markets, thoroughfare nutrient sellers, confectioners, into creations,” said Ms. Chatterjee, whose squad included craftswomen from her organisation, Twirl.store, which manufactures what it calls waste-to-wonder products, and besides pupil volunteers from Chitraka of Techno India University.
