Kolkata: Shanu Lahiri, one of Kolkata’s leading public artists, will be the theme of a prominent puja in Bhowanipore on her 98th birth anniversary. Lahiri had designed the idol at Bakul Bagan in 1982 and 1996, bringing art into Durga Puja long before the rise of theme pujas.This tribute coincides with the rediscovery of one of her most iconic public works — Parama, the sculpture that once stood near Science City. Designed by Lahiri and made with students of the Government College of Art & Craft, Kolkata, the 40ft sculpture disappeared mysteriously one night in Nov 2014. Its fragments were recently traced to the Tangra residence of Hui Hao Howard Lee, a third-generation Chinese businessman who had rescued them from an abandoned spot.Artists Somnath Sil, Subhradip Pal and Aritra Mukhopadhyay are presenting the theme at Abasar Sarbojanin Durgotsav Samiti, located near Lahiri’s maternal home. They said they wanted to focus on a personality from the area.Shyamal Nag Das, secretary of Abasar Sarbojanin Durgotsav Samiti, said, “When the artists suggested Lahiri’s name as the theme, we readily agreed.”“Shanu di had done the idol at Bakul Bagan in 1982 and 1996. She had also got students of art college involved in Durga Puja long before themes came into being and artists began to take pride in working at pandals,” Sil said. Contact with Lahiri’s nephew Anshuman Mitra and daughter Damayanti opened up archival material for the theme.The puja will feature an 18ft recreation of the statue, originally made in 1987 with artist Manik Talukdar and art students. Inside, a thakur ghar will be turned into an exhibition hall displaying photographs of Lahiri’s works and the artist at work. Her south Kolkata wall murals will be recreated, along with a small statue of Lahiri.“The idols of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik are based on the work that Shanu di had done at Bakul Bagan in 1982. Only the Durga idol will be different,” Pal said.The main attraction will be Parama at the entrance. The artists believe it could have become Kolkata’s symbol, rather than colonial-era landmarks like Howrah Bridge or Victoria Memorial. “This was perhaps the only statue that was not based on a political character or had any religious leaning. This was based on Bengal clay art: the pradip putul,” Mukhopadhyay said.Lee recalled finding the fragments after his mother-in-law spotted them near a Chinese temple in Chowbaga in late Dec 2014. “I saw parts of the sculpture lying there, with some locals playing football around it,” he said. He paid locals, hired a truck and brought the fragments home. “The sculpture was priceless to me,” he said.Lee is glad the forgotten Parama is making a comeback at a prominent puja, as are many in the artist fraternity who had rued its loss a dozen years ago.
