Photo Feature Kolkata Puja 2009

Photos of the Durga Idol and the famous pandals of Kolkata Durga Puja 2009

25 Pally Khidderpore Pandal

25 Pally Khidderpore Durga Pratima



66 Pally Durga Pratima



Badamtala Ashar Sangha Durga Pratima



Ballygaunge Cultural Durga Pratima



Behala club Pandal



Behala Dal Durga Pratima



Behala dal Durga Pratima

This Particular Durga Idol was crafted in such a way that she was turning towards the visitors to all the directions!!!

Bosepukur Sitala Mandir Durga Pratima


Bosepukur Talbagan Durga Pratima


Bosepukur Talbagan Pandal


Bosepukur Talbagan Pandal


Dumdum Bharat Chakra Durga pandal



Dumdum Bharat Chakra Pandal


Dumdum Bharat Chakra Pratima


Dumdum Tarun dal Pandal


Dumdum Tarun dal Pratima


Dumdum Tarun sangha Pandal


Dumdum Tarun sangha Pratima



Hindusthan Park Durga Pratima


Mohammed Ali Park Pandal


Mohammed Ali Park Durga Pratima


Mudiali Pandal


Mudiali Pandal interior


Mudiali Durga pratima


Notun Dal Behala Pratima


Notun Dal Behala Pandal


Notun Dal Behala Durga Pandal


Sribhumi Pandal Interior


Sribhumi Pandal


Sribhumi Durga Pratima


Suruchi sangha Pandal


Suruchi sangha Pandal Interior


Suruchi sangha Pandal interior


Suruchi sangha Pratima



Telenga Bagan Pratima


Telenga Bagan Pandal


Tridhara Sammilani Pandal


Tridhara Sammilani Pratima

Train - E - DISCO

This Article is taken from The Telegraph, a newspaper published from Kolkata, India. Disco train rolls to Goa - Luxury on wheels

SANJAY MANDAL

Goa beaches will be the main attraction of a 10-day train trip from Calcutta. Tickets are priced at Rs 35,000 per passenger A train with a discotheque, cabin crew and live music will roll out from the city on January 2 for a 10-day trip to Goa and Mumbai. A city-based private travel operator is organising the trip in collaboration with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC). The Rs 35,000 package per passenger will include journey in an air-conditioned three-tier coach, a three-night, four-day stay at beach resorts in Goa and a day in Mumbai. The 16-coach rake, booked by i-nova from Indian Railways, will take about 36 hours to reach Goa. “This is the first time a private operator has booked a train for retail tourism,” said Vivek Srivastav, the general manager (eastern zone) of IRCTC. “We will be responsible for the on-board services, including food, hospitality, housekeeping, public address system and security. A multi-cuisine menu will be served on board,” he added. “An entire coach will be converted into a discotheque. Folk and baul songs will be performed on board. There will also be other entertainment options,” said Rajib Mukherjee, the managing director of i-nova. Passengers will stay in beach resorts in north Goa. “In Goa, beaches are the most attractive places. Beach volleyball, water sports and rain dance will be organised. The route has been planned in such a way that passengers can enjoy the natural beauty,” added Mukherjee. A railway official said the train would be handed over to the company — which has paid Rs 60 lakh — four to five days before the trip. Winter is the peak tourist season in Goa. About 700 chartered flights fly in to Goa every year from Europe and the US, according to tour operators. If the project is a success, more such trips will be organised. “We are planning to organise similar tours to various destinations throughout the year,” said Mukherjee. The IRCTC, on its own, is launching a train, Village on Wheels, for budget tourists. The first Village on Wheel will set out from Howrah station for north India on November 15. It will return after seven days. Each passenger will be charged Rs 500 daily for food and sightseeing, said an official.

A Memorable Train Journey

Last year when visiting Darjeeling I asked my kids and friends how to go to Darjeeling from New Jalpaiguri? The answer was clear! Everyone opted for the toy train! I told that it will take at least 3 times of the time than if we go by car; but all were ready to spend 7 hours in toy train. I also wanted that but asked before hand everyone so that no one can blame me later :)

This Toy train recently awarded World Heritage Place by Unesco. This tour is also ranked in the first 25 best Train Journeys of the world.

It is really a splendid experience to ride on narrow gauge train. It starts its journey from the city at its own pace. Slowly it gains the altitude leaving behind the city. many times it cross the road and the cars going to Darjeeling wait for the train to cross. Everyone waves and cheer up each other. It is literally like a toy train one can easily get down and get up when it runs at slow speed. From a distance if you look it looks like a toy! Some times the train goes through the deep forests, sometimes through the small towns of the hill. There are total 12 stations between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. The 9th station is Kurseong; from where we started to feel little cold and took out our woolens from the bag. The next important station before Darjeeling is Ghoom (7407 Ft.), the highest point in this route. Batasia Loop is interesting the train passes through unique loops in a short span. The ticket collector explained the loop to my son.

From Ghoom the next station is Darjeeling. It took long 7 hours to reach Darjeeling but all of us enjoyed the trip thoroughly. If you don't have crunch of time reach Darjeeling by toy train, a journey you will remember for long.


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Durga Puja 2008 Kolkata

Tridhara Sammilani
Visit the photo gallery of Puja 2008 Kolkata

This is not an article about what is Durga Puja and its backgrounds, history, rituals , mythology etc. For that plenty of websites are present in the internet. Follow this link to a great site with all these information.

I will try to narrate the over all feelings and enthusiasm with this festival. Truly the people of West Bengal, from all income groups, religions, castes wait for this festival through the year. This is open to all. The Devipakhshya starts from Mahalaya. Seven days before the actual four day festival named as Mahasaptami, Mahastami, Mahanavami and Vijaya dasami. In fact,today is Vijaya dashami and I am writting this, I have on call at my hospital today.

Tridhara Sammilani Pandal

Preparation for this festival starts months before the actual festival. Marketing for puja for all sorts of things, starting from garments to electronic gizmos, all is bought in the context of Puja. For this buying spree, all the companies, malls, shops decorate themselves and offer different discounts, lottery, competition and so on. All the malls, markets remain flooded with buyer. the whole city and in fact whole state remain in the festive mood.

Durga puja previously used to be held in very few houses of rich people like landlords, where all the people of those area use to gather and celebrate. This culture is still on. The 100 to 150 years old Pujas in different family are still carried on by the generations, and everyone is welcome to be with them and celebrate. Meanwhile, when I cannot say, a new culture came. The residents of an particular area united and share funds to hold Puja at that area. It is called 'Barwari Puja'. Slowly this Barwari Puja changed its character. Now very popular, there are plenty of such pujas throughout Bengal. Funds in the form of Ads and sponsorship started pouring into it and they grew bigger and bigger.

Some of the pujas became of very big budget up to 50000 to 80000 USD!

Now each block or apartment, having few hundreds of residents organize their own Puja. All the apartments have their own. They contribute, collect money from sponsors and organize festivals for these days. A stage is made in almost all the pandals where people of all ages perform different cultural programs. Sometimes celebrities are also called to inaugurate and perform in big budget pandals. They also arrange for lunch and dinner at the pandals, where all residents come and enjoy their food together. Its an awesome feeling altogether.

Here is a video clip of culural program in my block. Quality is not great, as it is taken by mobile phone. But surely vibrartion of the festival will reach you.

The pandals are visited through out the day and night for all these three days by millions of peoples. So nice to see so colorfully dressed men, women, kids of all ages with high spirit and enthusiasm hopping around the pandals, in spite of all sorts of problems like parking, crowd and nowadays terrorism. No one complains. All are happy.

The pandals also changed its characters with ages. Now its really sometimes unbelievable, how such artistic pandals and idols are made. Any amount of praise to the creativity of the artists will be small. Now a days each pandal is made in particular theme. This year there were many themes regarding global warming, go green etc. The main pandal use to depict some famous mandir or historical structure, either from India or abroad. See the photos and you will be wondered by knowing that these are all temporary structures using different kind of materials like, board, plywood, cocnut skins, hay etc and will be dismantled and destroyed just after four days! See the idols, each one is an excellent piece of art and will be immersed in Ganges on Vijaya dasami.

The different companies held competition and announce prizes on different aspects, like best pandal, best idol, best managed puja, best puja managed by ladies, and so on, which adds more attraction to the visitors. They are also asked to vote for their favorite pujas through their mobile phones. This year Tridhara Sammilani puja is expected to get the most prestigious award.

A special dance 'dhunuchi dance' is held in many pandals and local competition is held for that too, is participated by many enthusiastic. Here is a video of dhunuchi dance of my block ladies, which was transmitted live in a popular TV channel.

Today is Vijaya dasami. The image of Maa will be immersed in the Ganges with great devotion and everyone will greet each other by hugging and pranam to get blessings from the elders by touching their feet.

From tomorrow the daily routine will start, all will go to bed today night with heavy heart, wishing the next Puja will be more great more prosperous more enjoyable to all. Maa will come again to her own land, own home to bless us.

Visit the photo gallery of Puja 2008 Kolkata

This is a leading Newspaper article for you, to see Puja with the eye of Beth A. Payne, American Consul - general, citizen of USA.

Beth A. Payne, American consul-general in Calcutta, a judge for CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja on Ashtami, pens an account of her first Puja in town:

"I have been going pandal-hopping from Friday and the first thing that strikes me about the Durga puja is that it is very public. Anyone regardless of his or her income, class, caste or religion is welcome to participate. At its heart and soul it is a festival for everyone.

There is a lesson in the story of Durga who comes to Her home on earth every year and it is our duty to welcome Her to an earth that is not destroyed by pollution and environmental hazards.

Durga puja also yields itself to a very relevant symbolism today. She was created by all the gods who gave Her their respective weapons. It talks of working as a team where you give what you are good at. We can combine our forces and create a Durga today from our energy. Pollution, neglect, misuse of nuclear weapons are all demons which this Durga can fight to save the world.

Tridhara Sammilani was by far my favourite among the finalists even though there were others which followed the rules by the letter. What works for the particular puja is that it is open on all sides and there is a lot of room for people to circulate.

The depiction of the Tamil Nadu-style temple and the very south Indian idol was a delight for a photographer like me. It was one pandal that truly inspired me.

I am stumped by the creativity of the people of Calcutta. I learn a little more about Durga every time I enter a pandal as every pandal tells Her story in a different way.

There is something about Bengal that I think inspires creativity.

I am glad that I joined the True Spirit Puja team as a judge. It took me to parts of Calcutta that I had never been to before and showed me how one can encourage voluntary development of environment-friendly pandals and foster community spirit.

As this is my first Puja in Calcutta, I am glad I got around to seeing so many pandals. I even gave anjali while judging one of the pandals on Ashtami and I am doing this after 18 years!

The last time was at a friend’s place and I did not even know what it was called.

I am eager to experience the whole Durga puja affair so I will be taking a boat out to the Hooghly on Friday to see the immersion and be shutter-happy with my camera.

I am posting all these photos on Facebook for my family to see what Durga puja is like.

My only regret is that I missed going to the ghats on Mahalaya to see the whole process of people giving offerings to their ancestors.

But there is always next year."

Taken from "The Telegraph" on 8th October 2008