Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 22 : With the festive spirit in the air, the city of Kolkata is once again draped with colours, lights, devotion and an unmatched energy. As Kolkata is already buzzing with anticipation for Durga Puja, dazzling and intricately designed pandals also appear ready to turn it even grander.
One such pandal has been presented by the South Kolkata Palli Sangha, located in the city's Ashok Nagar neighbourhood in Tollygunge.
Marking their 76th year of celebrations, the South Kolkata Palli Sangha has created an extraordinary theme - "Bangla, Amar Maa ar Bhasha" (Bengal is my Mother's Language), celebrating the Bengali language. The decorations feature paintings depicting Bengali letters and words.
Adding to this uniqueness, the idols of Goddess Durga's children have been given symbolic embodiments. While Goddess Lakshmi is depicted holding the Barn Parichaya popular childhood book that introduces the Bengali alphabet, Lord Kartik and Lord Ganesha hold black slates, symbolising education and knowledge.
Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, beautifully complements this theme.
On the other hand, the pandal also pays tribute to Bengali luminaries such as Saroj Chandra Chatterjee, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Swami Vivekananda, and Rabindranath Tagore, with cutouts and portraits displayed alongside Bengali words and scripts. It offers a social message, portraying Bengal as a mother and symbolising unity, pride, and resistance.
Speaking about the theme, the organisers say that Bengal is a land where people who speak many languages coexist harmoniously.
Meanwhile, the pandal is made from 'Shalpata' - a traditional leaf from West Bengal, and it took three months to complete.
From another corner of Tollygunge, the Santi Pally Puja Committee Durga Pandal was also inaugurated by actor Neelam Kothari Soni.
"This is the first time I have been in Kolkata for Durga Puja and it feels great. I will come every year. The decorations, the way the idols have been created, I think it is beautiful," she told the media.
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