Kolkata: A number of theme-based Durga Puja pandals in the city that wooed thousands of revellers are slated to live a second life during Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandernagore and Kali Puja in East Midnapore.Among the elaborate structures, which are set to be dismantled for reuse, are four Durga Puja pandals, conceptualised by theme artist Gouranga Kuila, and two by Biman Saha. Kuila’s four installations include Tridhara Sammilani’s ‘Surasur’, which explored mythological battles involving Rama and Ravana, Krishna and Kansa, and Durga and the asuras. Giant mythological dragons guarded the entrance, while Durga, positioned above them, symbolised the triumph of goodness over evil. The pandal will be reused at a Kali Puja in East Midnapore.Kuila’s Ram Er Ayodhya/Ram Ki Ayodhya, showcased at Central Park in Salt Lake, will be transported to a club in Chandernagore for Jagaddhatri Puja. His third installation, ‘O Men and Women’ at Haridevpur’s 41 Pally Club that addressed discrimination against transgender people, will be reused at another Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandernagore. It challenged the ridicule, neglect and social exclusion faced by the community and called for greater acceptance of diverse gender identities.Kuila’s fourth creation, Samay (Time), at Ichhapur Anandamath Boys’ School ground in Baranagar, blended traditional festive elements with futuristic, science fiction-inspired aesthetics. Featuring mechanical gears, large structures and distinctive lighting, the installation, simulated a journey through time, will also be reused at a Jagaddhatri Puja in Chandernagore.Theme artist Biman Saha’s twin installations will also be repurposed. His ‘Aitijhyer Lokkotha (Heritage of Folklore)’ at Mudiali Club near Tollygunge railway station, which celebrates Bengali folklore and traditional Durga Puja rituals associated with old Kolkata households of Jorasanko and Kumartuli, will be taken to Chandernagore for a Jagaddhatri Puja.His second installation, which will be taken down and repurposed is ‘Guptayan’, showcased at Jodhpur Park Sarbojonin that took visitors back to the Gupta empire, widely remembered for its achievements in architecture and sculpture. Designed to resemble a time machine, the installation will be reused by another Jagaddhatri Puja, this one in Mankundu.With the festive calendar extending beyond Durga Puja, the reuse of these installations will allow their artistic appeal to reach a fresh audience while giving the structures a second lease of life.
