From the Tirupati Balaji and Puri Jagannath temples to the Sphere of Las Vegas, nothing is out of bounds when it comes to Durga Puja themes this year
With a little more than a month to go for Durga Puja 2024 (October 9-13), most clubs in Kolkata, especially the celebrated ones, are halfway through with their pandals. Like every year, themes have been picked, and artists have been chosen to give shape to those through the pandals and even the Goddess. Here are 10 must-visit theme pujas this year that are sure to make heads turn.
1. Sreebhumi Sporting Club: Shri Venkateswara temple of Tirupati
Sreebhumi Sporting Club at Lake Town in the north-eastern flanks of the city is one of the major crowd-pullers every year. Last year, they wowed pandal-hoppers with a realistic replica of the Paris Disneyland. This year, they have made a U-turn from entertainment to one of the most revered religious sites in India — the Shri Venketeswara Swamy temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
The pandal will reportedly be 100 feet in height and the temple facade will be the main entrance. The décor will include motifs of Balaji, the presiding deity of the temple. The pandal will reportedly be pure white on the outside and golden inside.
The Shri Venketeswara Swamy temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Sreebhumi puja, in its 51st year, has worked on religious themes earlier, too — including the Puri Jagannath temple and St Peter’s Basilica of Italy. Side by side, they have worked on totally offbeat themes like the Burj Khalifa of Dubai. What stands out every year is the effort to bring the pandal as close to the original monument by means of lighting and décor. So, this year, Kolkatans look all set to find the Tirupati Balaji temple transported to South Dum Dum!
2. Santosh Mitra Square: The Sphere of Las Vegas
From Tirupati to Sin City! Sacrilege, did you say? Well, that is the fun of Kolkata Durga Puja if you are open-minded enough to enjoy it. About 7 km south of Sreebhumi, we come to another biggie — Santosh Mitra Square in Lebutala, Bowbazar. In its 89th year, this puja has decided to bring a slice of Vegas to Kolkata this year, by replicating the Sphere of Las Vegas at their pandal, using special effects with lights.
The Sphere of Las Vegas. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The pandal itself will reportedly be in the shape of a hemisphere, while pandal-hoppers will reportedly be treated to an 11-D show! Yes, not 3D, 5D, but 11D. Apparently, different images of how the 10-armed Goddess and Mother Nature protect the world and humanity can be seen from 11 different angles! Intrigued? Yes, the Santosh Mitra Square is sure to grab eyeballs this year.
For a reminder, they had replicated the Ayodhya Ram temple last year — even before the inauguration of the original. And it was so realistic that very often, the pandal’s images are shared as that of the original!
3. Kumartuli Sarbojonin Durgotsav: Farmers’ protest
How can Kolkata Durga Puja pandals be away from social issues? Let’s go some 4.5 km north-west of Santosh Mitra Square, to Kumartuli Sarbojonin Durgotsav in the famed potters’ hub of Kumartuli, where most of the idols are made.
In its 90th year, Kumartuli Sarbojanin has decided to highlight the farmers’ protests that have been rocking India over several years now. The theme has been titled “Khudha” (hunger), while tools used by farmers are expected to be used as motifs in the pandal. The idol also will reportedly be different though the organisers are tight-lipped about the details. To know more, you have to be at Kumartuli Sarbojanin this year.
Switzerland Parliament House. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
4. College Square: Switzerland Parliament House
The College Square puja, in its 77th year, is another traditional crowd-puller of Kolkata. Famous for its lighting, and its reflection on the swimming pool next to which the pandal is built, the College Square puja this year has chosen the Switzerland Parliament House as its theme.
Last year, College Square had chosen the Mysore Palace as the theme and had totally floored everyone with the result. So, this year, pandal-hoppers are likely to enjoy this Swiss delight in the City of Joy. The pandal will reportedly have a height of 100-120 feet and a width of 100-130 feet.
The organisers promise a difference this year both in the pandal and the lighting — which is usually done by the celebrated illumination artists of Chandannagar in Hooghly district. There will be a laser show, too, though the organisers have refused to spill all the beans. To feel the difference, don’t forget to be at College Square in Bowbazar, only 1.5 km from Santosh Mitra Square’s Vegas!
5. Telengabagan: Food wastage
One of the oldest and most well-known pujas of north Kolkata’s Ultadanga area is Telengabagan. Like Kumartuli Sarbojanin, they have also chosen to highlight a social issue this year — that of food wastage.
Telengabagan, which has been dabbling with themes in recent years, chose Oxygen Tank as the theme in 2021, during peak COVID period. Last year, they had chosen to tell the stories of daily commuters who visit the city by local trains every day for a living.
And this year, they will highlight the heartbreaking issue of food wastage by the rich while the poor do not get two square meals a day. Goddess Durga will be in the form of Annapurna, like the everyday mother of Bengal, who feeds everyone she can.
Brings to mind the award-winning short film Chicken a la Carte? You have to visit the Telengabagan puja to see for yourself how they have chosen to depict the issue.
India’s first underwater Metro will be replicated in the popular puja of Ultadanga — Kabiraj Bagan. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
6. Kabiraj Bagan Sarbojonin Durgotsav: Underwater Metro
Kolkata got yet another thing to be proud of this year — India’s first underwater Metro. This iconic installation will be replicated in another popular puja of Ultadanga — Kabiraj Bagan — only 350 metres from Telengabagan.
In its 59th year, Kabiraj Bagan has already completed installing a huge replica of the Howrah Bridge. Apparently, people will have to climb on the bridge, which has been installed at a height. They will walk along the bridge, get off near the pandal, enter a “tunnel” which will house the “Metro” as well, and “board” the Metro which will be air-conditioned! Once they come out of the “Metro”, they will enter the main puja area, which will be a replica of the Dakshineswar Kali temple and house the idol.
Whoa! Sounds like a lot, isn’t it? To know how the organisers pull it off, do pay a visit to Kabiraj Bagan. After all, last year, they had successfully brought a slice of Kerala to Kolkata. And, the year before that, they had paid a beautiful tribute to singer KK, who passed away in the city earlier that year.
7. Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha: Natural disasters resulting from human intervention in river flow
Flooding of rivers, landslides, mudslides — from north to south, and from east to west, these have become common issues in India today. And more often than not, these result from human intervention, in the form of dams and hydel projects.
When humans try to block or alter the natural flow of mighty rivers, nature punishes humans by wreaking havoc in the form of such disasters. This is what the organisers of Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha want to highlight through their theme Muktodhara (free flow) in their 39th year. The deity will be in the form of a mountain goddess. To know more, do drop in at this puja, only 3.1 km from the celebrated Sreebhumi.
Puri Jagannath Dham. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
8. Ekdalia Evergreen Club: Puri Jagannath temple
Coming to South Kolkata now, though most big pujas have not announced any major theme yet, this biggie has decided to replicate the revered Puri Jagannath Dham in its Durga Puja pandal this year.
Not only that, just as the flags atop the Puri temple are famously changed every day, the same will reportedly be done for the pandal too. And, in some great news for Bengalis, the cherished prasad of Puri temple, the gajas, will also reportedly be available at the pandal.
So, barring its beautiful sea, Kolkata seems to be in for a Puri treat — in every sense of the term — with the rest of the temple town coming alive in the heart of Gariahat! Since Ekdalia never disappoints, this puja will surely be one to watch out for.
9. Chetla Agrani: Ganga pollution
This well-known south Kolkata puja has also decided to highlight a social issue — the pollution of the Ganga, a holy river whose water is used for worshipping deities. The message the organisers want to impart is that if the Ganga is polluted, so does the entire society.
The river will be used in different motifs, with eco-friendly and resource-based items being heavily used keeping in mind the various types of artisans who get work primarily during Durga Puja. The idea is to inspire people to stop polluting the Ganga. The idol will be traditional, one that will immediately inspire veneration, say the organisers.
Vrindavan Chandrodaya temple. Photo courtesy: vcm.org.in
10. Garia Pancha Durga: Vrindavan Chandrodaya temple
This puja, organised by Kamdahari Purbapara Recreation Club, is in its 70th year this time. This year, they have set sights on replicating the stunning Chandrodaya temple of Vrindavan, which is still under construction and, at 7,260 feet, is touted to be the tallest religious monument in the world once completed.
The pandal will be 80 feet in height, with the outer façade being made with glass, while the interiors will be made with dry fruits! This apart, the organisers also promise spectacular illumination.
This puja, a stone’s throw from the Kabi Nazrul Metro station, in the southern flanks of the city, is famed for the five Durga idols they have every year, giving its name “Pancha Durga”. Add to that the ambitious theme — do not miss this pandal this year.
