Durga Puja is the biggest festive season for Kolkata and all place of Bengal. It is celebrated with utmost joy, enthusiasm, dedication and devotion. Durga Puja 2010 starts from 13th October and ends on 17th October.
Durga Puja pandals are the places where Goddess Durga is worshipped by public. These pandals are sarvajanik or samoohik mandirs to worship the Motehr Goddess. For Durga Puja 2010, many Durga Puja pandals have prepared Durga idols with lead-free paints and other pollution-free material. Kumartuli Durga idol makers are also using lead-free material to make Durga idols in 2010.
For Durga Puja 2010, Durga Puja Pandals may be decorated with attractive themes or in innovative patterns. The most popular theme for this years Durga puja is “Eco-friendly “ or “Green”. Many puja pandals are celebrating the fest in ‘Green mandaps.
Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey for Times of India writes:
Durga Puja 2010 is all about eye-popping innovation. And, in their effort to ensure that their pujas grab more attention than the rest, organizers are leaving no stone unturned. Not surprisingly, one of the top themes is going green.
Last year, the theme was Jharkhand, which is associated with forests and greenery, said the organizers. “We want to spread awareness against global warming. We have grown at least 85 different plants, which will all be part of the natural pandal that we are developing,” said an organizer.
Even filmmaker Goutam Ghosh who, for the first time, has involved himself in designing themes last year, pandals and goddesses this time, has made the environment his pet theme. Ghosh has developed the concept of Badamtala Ashar Sangha this time and has christened it “Nature”.
The Jodhpur Park puja, a favourite with pandal hoppers, is recreating portions of an old palace, complete with a thakurdalan, where the goddess will be worshipped.
The Bosepukur Talbagan puja has gone back to Bengal’s artistic roots. The organizers plan to recreate patachitras from Kalighat, Midnapore and Bankura for its pandal. However, the organizers have planned an entirely new two-in-one concept. “As you enter, you see an idol that will look familiar, but you will have to go around her to come out of the pandal; then, you’ll see another goddess, in the Rajrajeshwari style,” explained Secretary Subhendu Ghosh.
Sreebhumi Sporting organisers have also increased the budget by Rs 10 lakh to recreate the grand Akshardham temple of Noida. This club had earlier recreated the original Akshardham of Gandhinagar and wanted to do something more spectacular this time. Hence, the budget of Rs 30 lakh. Some very popular pujas, such as Barisha Jubak Brinda, however, believe that it is not necessary to have a huge budget to design an innovative puja.