Kedarnath: Kedarnath, Chandrayaan, Disneyland: NCR Durga Puja pandals get creative with themes

Puja pandals across NCR are celebrating the festival with full gusto and dhoom with extravagant and thought-out themed-settings
Matri Mandir in Safdarjung Enclave has turned into Disneyland for Durga Puja. “To celebrate 100 years of Disney, we have tried to create a replica of Disneyland,” says Amita Chakraborty, additional general secretary of the committee

Bangiya Parishad in Sec 56 Gurgaon is celebrating their 18th Durga Pujo with the theme of Chandrayaan III. The pandal has a 3D replica of the rover. To honour the women scientists, female

dhaakis

from Bengal will be playing the

dhaak.

The Arambagh Puja Samiti is celebrating its 35th Durga Puja this year with the theme ‘In Search of Green Earth’. The theme is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal promoting a greener environment and safeguarding our planet for posterity. The weapon in hands of Durga is replaced by flowers this year to send the message of promoting peace in world.

The Mayur Vihar Kali Bari Samiti have turned their pandal into a land of puppets. “This year, we want to defy the AI-driven digital world and tell several stories through tangible puppets of all shapes and sizes,” says Sowmojit Banerjee from Mayur Vihar Kali Bari Samiti.

Noida’s Sec 61 Balaka Durgostab celebrates Sonar Bangla. From a sneak peek into the agrarian life in Bengal to village life, the decor has motifs which will transport you to Sonar Bangla.

While the GK 1 Durgabari Puja Samiti pandal is covered with tribal artworks, the pandals at GK 2 and CR Park Mela Ground are keeping things traditional.

“Our focus is purely on uplifting the tradition of art, culture and heritage of Bengal. We are showcasing Bengali workmanship in an aesthetic manner this year. The artisans’ creativity is frequently disregarded in the rush to draw crowds and draw in more customers, with the focus instead being on the structure. The structure would serve as a representation of traditional Bengali Puja in Noida, putting the artistry of the Bengali artisans once more in the spotlight for our public,” says Jaya Dey, member of Jalvayu Vihar Sankriti Kalyan Samiti.

CR Park’s Cooperative Ground Durga Puja pandal resembles Bihar’s Mundeshwari Devi Temple. The committee is also going to pay tribute to renowned Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam with a dance drama performed by kids.

To celebrate different tribal artforms, the panels and pillars of GK 1 Durgabari Puja Samiti pandal are covered with tribal artworks. From Kalighat pattachitra and Madhubani to alpana, the theme pays tribute to the artists. The Durga idol at the pandal is adorned with dhaaker saaj and shollar kaaj.

Terracotta artefacts from Bengal adorn the Mayur Vihar Phase 1 pandal, which resembles an old Vishnu temple in Bishnupur.

CR Park’s B Block Puja Ground turned into a replica of the new Parliament building.

The pandal at Indirapuram is a replica of the Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand.

Noida Sector 137 Sarbojanin Puja Samiti’s pandal celebrates the dhaak with its structure.