| Profiles Bishakha & Saradindu Bose |
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Bose writes, "A few years back, when our friend from Kolkata was hospitalised in London, he requested his family to take him home immediately for Durga Puja. We took photographs and emailed them to him. Thereafter we have been magnetised by the passion with which the local Durgapuja associations conceptualise and artists/artisans execute varied aesthetic and complex themes for a week every year." |
Photo Gallery • Durga Puja • Temples • Kumbha • Varanasi • Himalayan Caves • Kailash Faces of India • Laxman Shreshtha • Shabana Azmi • Satyajit Ray • Mario Miranda • Zakir Hussain | ||||
In the past few years, there have been many corporate prizes instituted for various aspects of the Durga Puja pandals. Bose comments, "This, or perhaps the changing outlook of the new generations has created the showcasing of causes, issues and contemporary themes through the worship of the great goddess Durga Mata. There is a distinct change in the decor and style of pandals as well as the celebration and festivity itself. In many cases, the central idea is well-researched before executing. Loud Hindi movie music, which had taken over in the past decades, is no longer the rule. Dhakis or traditional drummers from the villages come in large numbers.
Photographers' Gallery:
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Editor: Romola Butalia (c) India Travelogue. All rights reserved. |
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There is a focus on green, themes are based on historical structures, the fabric is of jute, adobe, and other non chemical materials. Art work is based on Indian art forms such as Pat, Madhubani,terracotta Bishnupur work or even international patterns as varied as African adobe or Indonesian thatch. The concern for social issues and news related themes continues to predominate. The celebration of Durga Puja in Kolkata reflects the premium placed here on a thriving intellect, social interaction, and the fact that the Goddess has chosen to inspire her devotees towards Dharma in a contemporary context.