Pujo 2011 - Mahalaya

a lot is happening here.. man in towel getting scolded, while boy completes making a mud cake, as a photographer sits to frame a picture while another looks for interesting subjects with hands in pocket, as people go around doing one or the other activity associated with the tarpan ritual..

Extract from wiki on tarpan (veneration of the dead), the wiki on tarpan itself refers to some breed of horses - 

"Ancestor worship is predominant in India among Hindus. In India, when a person dies, the family observes a ten-day mourning period, generally called shraddha. A year and six months thence, they observe the ritual of Tarpan, in which the family offers tributes to the deceased. During these rituals, the family prepares the food items that the deceased liked and offers food to the deceased. They offer this food to cows and crows as well. They are also obliged to offer sraddha (a small feast of specific preparations) to eligible Bramhins. Only after these rituals are the family members allowed to eat.

Each year, on the particular date (as per the Hindu calendar) when the person had died, the family members repeat this ritual.

Apart from this, there is also a fortnight-long duration each year called Pitru Paksha ("fortnight of ancestors"), when the family remembers all its ancestors and offers Tarpan to them. This period falls just before the Navratri or Durga Puja falling in the month of Ashwin. Mahalaya marks the end of the fortnight-long Tarpan to the ancestors."

 

@ 74 pally (Khidderpore)

Glass mosaic theme. Very artistic.  Transparent glass, stuck on a coloured background.

@ pally sharadiya (Khidderpore)

Mahamayar Mayajaal - Devi's Mahamaya roop is the theme of this pandal. A very unique art form, you feel the presence of the Mahamaya. The materials used are net, fabric, poli carbonate, toka, glass paintings.  Simple illumination but with dazzling and colourful lightings on both inside and outside the Pandal arena and also on either sides of  the road.

artist - susanta pal 

daytime pictures

@ 25 pally (Khidderpore)

This year Khidderpore 25 polli is celebrating their 66th year.  The theme is the primitive baroari pujo that had been celebrated in the villeges of Bengal. This theme exhibits  our tradition. In the podium are ten deities, which have been decorated by the efficient artisans of Chandannagar.The entire mandap is furnished with the rich work of Jafri. 

daytime pictures and more info

@ chetla agroni

 “Matrijothor Theke Tomar Anchal,
                  Dekhale Bhuban Khelar Chhale.
                  Sneho Mamata Neiko Tulona,
                  Tumi Amaar MAA”

Portraying ‘MA’, where after we come out from her womb, she takes us in her ‘anchal’ with all her affection to protect us. From there our journey begins and she always shows us the world through the disguise of playing.  Your gentleness, your care, your love is unparalleled; YOU ARE MY ‘MOTHER’! The greatest being on Earth!

This master-mind behind this wonderful theme is none other than the maker Shri Subodh Roy. Since February 2010, he has been busy in conceptualizing the whole theme to give it a new shape. Artisans are now busy in giving their last and final touch to the idol. The overall decoration of the ‘pandal’ will be architected exclusively by resembling the way ‘how a baby is delivered from mother’s womb’. With the petals of Lotus the ‘pandal’ will be adorned and the roof will be kept open to get sunshine and create that natural effect. To create an illusion to the viewers, a source of laser light will be on the back of the goddess. This one of the special attractions of the puja, which the organizers think, will draw lots of crowd.
credit for above description 

@ mudiali - sebak sangha (not sure)

they used rags to decorate the pandal and even the "protima" (idol)

@ mudiali park

a temporary installation that looks deceivingly permanent.  quite a prestigious pujo, though very traditional in concept

@ shibmandir

all jute.  lighting, music, the complete setting takes you to a different world.


"keep clean
go green !!"


very less light.. but got some nice pictures

@ badamtalla

they merged the actual facade of the neighborhood houses into the installation.  the surrounding facade of the buildings was painted, the windows were painted, the random overhanging wire clutter (telephone and cable TV) were wrapped in cloth and interestingly became a part of the installation. temporary, but permanent looking extensions were made to give the feel of a huge mystical temple right in the middle of the road.  a lot of frills in red cloth, hand fans, and textiles were used throughout the installation.  very colourful and had a huge impact.


some pictures of the work in progress (they used a crane to put in the finishing touches after the bamboo structure was pulled down to complete the decoration and painting work on the pandal, you can see that in one of the pictures) and then the pandal itself around 1am at night.

this is what the neighborhood looked like before the artists started making it a part of their installation.  notice the frilled window on the top right, compare with the other windows in the building.

notice how the hand-fans (with frills) have been tied to random cables between the buildings to merge them into the installation.  ofcourse, the buildings themselves have been painted to merge into the installation.

finishing touches to the pandal.  the crane was commissioned from the local corporation office.