We see the splendour, we celebrate the festival, and we bow before Maa Durga. But do we ever see the hands that create the magic?
When the city of joy lights up, and millions stand spellbound before the magnificent puja pandals that the cameras capture every breathtaking detail, the world turns its eyes towards Kolkata.
“When the puja organisers finalise the theme, we also get a set budget. So, at times, we have to let go of a few design aspects to stay within the budget. Artist Debashish Barui has been in the profession for years, dedicating his life to art and installations. But behind the beauty lies a battle of survival; while the city sleeps, these hands keep moving. For the artists, there is no room for an unfinished dream. The entire experience is handmade from scratch. When Maa Durga arrives, the crowds pour in; the local neighbourhood becomes a destination. A pandal becomes a landmark. And Kolkata becomes a living, breathing canvas of creativity. Yet every moment of awe becomes a silent tribute to their labour. It is their art. Their identity. Their offering to Maa Durga. Their work is temporary. But their impact is unforgettable.
Artists travel from across districts and shift temporarily inside the pandals for almost 3 months to bring the puja alive.
In Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha, the theme chosen this year is “sodhon” or an ecological balance between nature and man. But this time around, the Adani Puja preview has extended support, and that fund I’ve utilised to build the structure I had envisioned,” said Debashish Barui, the man behind the breathtaking pandal which has an amalgamation of elements of nature, light and sound projection and beautifully handmade structures making it an enigmatic experience.
