Beyond the idol: Durga Puja pandals are now platforms for social and political activism

Imagine an creation assemblage that spans an full city, drafting millions of visitors successful conscionable a fewer days. This is the world of Durga Puja successful Kolkata, wherever faith, craft, and activism converge into a breathtaking nationalist creation spectacle.

I americium successful the metropolis for a preview of the pandals as they are being assembled. It is simply a fewer days earlier dense rains inundate the city, assertion lives and flood many pandals. With themes ranging from nutrient adulteration and acerb attacks to Bengali literate thrillers, and titles specified as Proshno (question), Artonad (scream), Nigurho (mystery) and Ocholayton (static), it isn’t astonishing that paper headlines speech astir the pandals this year being puzzles for the communal man. Or an unofficial IQ test. But determination are besides thousands of religious pandals to view.

For the creation visitor, however, it is fantastic. With intricate trade and impeccable concepts, and a standard that is seldom seen, the festival, wide described arsenic the world’s largest nationalist creation festival, and recognised by UNESCO arsenic an Intangible Cultural Heritage, is comparable, if not better, than galore planetary creation festivals. To apical it each off, many pandals are assemblage funded.

Last year, I was disappointed that I could not instrumentality backmost immoderate of the creation I saw. I’d asked Sayantan Mitra from massArt, a non-profit that works to beforehand the creation and civilization of Bengal, if thing could beryllium done. This year, as we locomotion done caller galleries acceptable up astatine the Alipore Jail Museum for the preview, idiosyncratic creation works by the artists down selected pandals are being sold.

A abstraction for almighty narratives

Pujo, arsenic it is known to many, was initially performed successful the backstage homes of zamindars (hereditary landowners) crossed West Bengal. A confluence of factors transformed it into the cultural, social, and spiritual improvement that it is today, particularly successful the superior city. One was the philosophical power of philosopher Swami Vivekananda and the Ramakrishna Mission, which elevated the festival’s spiritual and societal significance. Also important was its relation arsenic a level for governmental look during the Indian state struggle.

The usage of Durga Puja pandals arsenic stages for societal and governmental activism is simply a much caller phenomenon. Instead of simply decorating the pandal, community-based puja committees physique creator concepts astir a cardinal taxable — encompassing the structure’s architecture, the idol’s design, the lighting, and adjacent the surrounding environment.

In caller years, themes person moved from wide societal issues to much pointed governmental statements. This is peculiarly disposable successful Kolkata, wherever large puja committees are often backed by rival governmental parties. Using the umbrella of the yearly festival, which draws tremendous patronage, creator directors are pushing boundaries. They usage it arsenic a abstraction for ideas, utilizing trade and plan to make powerful, piercing narratives connected themes ranging from the situation and past to societal justness and ideologies.

Mirroring existent debates

This year, 1 of the astir absorbing pavilions is non-profit organisation Tala Prottoy’s Beej Angan (seed courtyard). Spanning implicit 35,000 sq.ft., it tells a almighty communicative astir agriculture, nature, and sustainability. The pandal shines a spotlight connected issues specified arsenic nutrient adulteration, rising prices, and the fallout of misguided farming policies. The Durga idol by creator Bhabatosh Sutar takes connected the guise of a workplace miss with a plough, slaying demons and workplace policies.

Another poignant pandal is 1 dedicated to the victimisation of women. Artist Anirban Das’ enactment is simply a graphic look astatine ‘burning’, a almighty metaphor encompassing torments specified arsenic rape, acerb attack, quality trafficking, home violence, and kid matrimony that women endure successful India. During the festival, survivors of acerb attacks volition articulation different women to execute abbreviated skits.

As I marque my mode done the city, I travel crossed a pandal connected the chaap, oregon stamp, successful its metaphorical and literal form, suggesting the powerfulness of the representation and its relation successful transformation; different designed arsenic a elephantine illustrated strip, taking america connected a travel backmost successful clip to the comic books of the 1950s and 60s, and the satellite of fictional detective Byomkesh Bakshi and Bengali literate thrillers; and adjacent a quirky pandal titled Chaa that pays homage to the past of tea.

Raja Ravi Varma, the historically renowned creator who brought the quality forms of gods and goddesses into homes with his chromolithographs, has a pavilion dedicated to his imagery. As does the almighty riots of 1946, which shook West Bengal. It is made disposable successful a melodramatic operation of maps, oversized printing equipment, and newspapers of the lawsuit — handstitched for tactility and interaction — suggesting the sociological interaction connected nine successful the past of alteration successful India.

Igniting conversations

The pandals exemplify the powerfulness of art, taking the visitant done tableaus of almighty ideas. The communal person, who whitethorn not beryllium an creation aficionado, is present being drawn into the fold with these ocular extravaganzas.

The world, and adjacent the locals of the city, person yet to afloat recognise this important alteration successful the world’s largest nationalist creation festival. As these impermanent installations proceed to situation conventions and ignite conversation, Durga Puja becomes not conscionable a festival of religion but a profound cause of change.

The writer is the laminitis of Apparao Galleries.