West Bengal: Kolkata's Durga Pandal reminds plight of Bengali people during Indo-Pak war in 1971

By Ujjwal Roy
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 15 (ANI): 'Nakatala Udayan Sangha', one of the famous Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata, this year depicts "memories" of the plight of Bengali families during the 1971 India-Pakistan war that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.
Every year Kolkata brings new puja themes that are unique and innovative in their own way. From pandals to Durga idol, devotees get to see various themed Durga puja in Kolkata
The theme of this year's Durga Puja Pandal of Naktala Udayan Sangha is Hridaypur. In its 39th year, Naktala Udayan Sangha depicts the plight of the displaced colonies after 1971 war. The theme, Hridaypur though fictional, reflects on the real dilemma of the displaced individuals who were always in doubt of gaining acceptance in a new land. With broken hearts, they re-settled in various colonies around 'Naktala' and thus the name Hridaypur which is loosely translated to the land of hearts.

The name of the theme is 'Hridaypur' (heartland), which unearths the unknown memories embedded in the heart of 'Nakatala'.

"We have been working on this for three months. For this, we collected scraps from homes located in the colony. The theme is based on 'memories. We have used metal scrap, mud, water, etc. The reviews are good, People have started visiting here ", Soham Laha, an artist at Nakatala Udayan Sangha told ANI.

Another artist, Arka Bhattacharjee, spoke to ANI about the theme of the Pandal.

"This year, we thought of bringing something unique for the people. The name of the theme is 'Hridyapur'. It unearths the unknown memories embedded in the heart of Nakatala. It showcases the families and colonies affected by the partition", he said.
Another Durga Puja pandal of 'Pathurighata Pancher Palli' in Kolkata is breaking boundaries and a few taboos surrounding menstruation with its Menstrual Hygiene-themed pandal this year.
Meanwhile, preparations for the festival are underway in various parts of the country.
In Madhya Pradesh's Indore district, pandals and eye-catching statues of Goddess Durga have been prepared in view of the festival.
A Bengali artisan, Atul Pal, is known for creating the Raudra form of Goddess Durga along with his team. People come to him in Indore from many districts in the state to get idols prepared for the festival.
"I along with a team of 25 people of Bengali artisans made Ganesh idols for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and Goddess Durga idols for the Navratri festival. Preparations for the making of idols start six months before the festival begins and the most attractive sculptures are made at our place," Atul told ANI.
Three statues containing Kalka Mata, Mehtarani Mata and Kaal Bhairav have been installed at a pandal in the Musakhedi area in the city. (ANI)