KOLKATA: At Suruchi Sangha in New Alipore, a Durga Puja known for its elaborate themes and strong political visibility, this year’s pandal turns to history, ideology and memory with a presentation on Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his 125th birth anniversary.The south Kolkata puja, long counted among the city’s most popular community celebrations, has often reflected the political mood of the times. Earlier closely associated with the Trinamool Congress ecosystem, with sports minister and Mamata Banerjee loyalist Aroop Biswas and his brother Swaroop Biswas playing key roles in the organisation, Suruchi Sangha now has BJP’s Dum Dum MLA Sourav Sikdar as its puja secretary following the change in the state’s political landscape.This year’s theme, titled “Utsa”, has been conceptualised by artist Anirban Das, who also designed last year’s presentation, “Ahuti”, on the sacrifices of freedom fighters. For 2026, Das has moved from the broader canvas of nationalist sacrifice to the life and times of Mookerjee, presenting him through archival photographs, writings, political thought and key historical moments associated with him.The pandal space has been designed as an interpretative journey through Mookerjee’s public life. Visual installations, documentary references and period imagery are being used to recreate the atmosphere of the era in which he emerged as a prominent political figure. A statue of Mookerjee forms one of the central elements of the presentation, anchoring the theme in the persona of the man whom his followers remember as “Bharat Kesari”.According to Das, the objective is to highlight Mookerjee’s role in Bengal’s political history and the debates that shaped the province during the turbulent years around Partition. The theme places emphasis on lesser-known aspects of his life, his political writings and his ideological position, while also revisiting historical events linked to his views on Bengal’s future.“This year’s puja will be themed on the life of Mookerjee and a giant statue of the Hindutva ideologue will be installed. The puja will highlight Mookerjee’s role in shaping the politics and destiny of West Bengal. Lesser-known aspects of his life and historical events associated with him will also be shown,” Das said.For the organisers, the theme is also an attempt to locate Mookerjee within the contested and layered history of Bengal’s Partition. His supporters have long credited him with playing a decisive role in ensuring the creation of West Bengal as a Hindu-majority state within India, a claim that continues to be discussed in historical and political circles.“The theme seeks to present historical narratives associated with Mookerjee, including his role in the creation of the ‘Hindu homeland’ of West Bengal during the Partition,” Sikdar said.The idol, also created by Das, retains the familiar Mahishasuramardini form of Goddess Durga, preserving the traditional iconography of the festival. Around the idol, however, the artistic vocabulary of the pandal draws from Mookerjee’s life and times, blending devotional space with political-historical interpretation.Suruchi Sangha has built its reputation over the years by combining spectacle with topical themes, drawing large crowds from across Kolkata and beyond. This year’s edition adds a sharper political and historical layer to that tradition, placing one of Bengal’s most debated public figures at the centre of a major Durga Puja presentation.
