From weaving themes around ‘Jamdani’ to blending history with colour, pujas become crowd pullers

Kolkata: While Sreebhumi Durga Puja is the ultimate crowd puller among the pujas around VIP Road, the Durga Pujas organised by Dum Dum Park Bharat Chakra, Tarun Sangha and Tarun Dal are also attracting pandal hoppers with their unique ideas.

This year, Dum Dum Park Bharat Chakra has made their theme based on the expertise of the weaving industry to weave Bengal’s popular garment ‘Jamdani’. The theme, called the art of weaving, is aimed to showcase the lost glory of the weavers of Bengal during colonial empires. In the Puja pandal, ‘Jamdani’ fabric is being showcased in many forms. According to the organisers, these ‘Jamdani’ fabrics used to be the most precious and favourite for the kings and rulers of our country which were woven in the looms of Kishoreganj (Bangladesh at present).

Besides Bharat Chakra, Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha Puja committee’s theme for this year is ‘Muktadhara’. The theme is based on the popular play Muktadhara by Rabindranath Tagore. Through this theme, it has been portrayed that the play written by Tagore about a century ago, is still relevant in today’s context.

Its underlying philosophy resonates just as powerfully now as it did then. The Puja pandal has been made in such a way that it looks like a mountain valley with a pond adjacent to the pandal that looks like a river. Two dams have been constructed.

Within a few hundred metres of Tarun Sangha, the theme for this year’s Dum Dum Tarun Dal is based on the colours blue and white. The tagline of the theme is, ‘when history blends with colour.’ While on one side of the pandal, popular fabric maslin has been showcased, on the other side, the history of the Indigo Revolt can be seen. The idol of Goddess Durga is also seen in blue attire.