KOLKATA: Cloudy sky and spells of downpour in Kolkata and its adjoining districts dampened the festive mood of pandal hoppers on Saptami on Sunday. Worse, the meteorological department has predicted rainfall till October 4, Nabami, with heavy rain likely to place in some districts. Braving the overcast sky, some Puja revellers thronged the streets of Kolkata from the morning to avoid massive crowd at night. However, they were disappointed as sporadic rain drenched the city.
“After Covid-19 in the last two years, footfall in all major puja pandals is likely to be huge this year. There will be huge crowd after evening and visiting popular pujas will be tough. So we left home in the morning. But our plan did not work as we got stranded because of rain,’’ said Mousumi Karmakar, who took refuge under the shed of a bus stop when she was heading to a pandal in south Kolkata.
Festive mood returned to Bengal and Kolkata after two years as strict restrictions were imposed on the biggest festival because of pandemic. This year, Puja organisers showcased their theme-based creativity, ranging from plight of acid-attack victims to social harmony and equality.
Visitors experienced a sobering moment as they stepped into the pandal of Santoshpur Avenue South Club, which mirrored the pain of acid attack victims. The organisers decided to showcase such a stark slice of reality as the attack on women had been nudging them to think beyond bright lights, pretty idols and beautiful pandals.
’The theme is heart wrenching. It reminds us about the evils in our society. The organisers showed their social responsibility through the theme,’’ said Sayantika Banerjee, one of the visitors. Elaborating on what inspired him to select the theme, artist Papai Santra said, ‘’The girlfriend of a friend’s brother had suffered such an attack. Despite his parents’ objection, the guy married her. In last year’s puja, a daughter was born to them. I owe the idea and the inspiration to them.’
Tarun Sangha in Dum Dum Park has send out a message of social harmony. The theme of the pandal is a journey, which united all fellow travellers for that length of time, irrespective of caste, creed, social status or the destination they are heading for.