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Stunning clay work adorns this Sangam city Durga puja pandal
This is the lone Durga Puja pandal which has been established with the active support of the Muslim community of the locality.
In the midst of the multitude of Durga Puja pandals set up by Barwaris of various localities in Sangam city, the Durga Puja pandal of Sarvajani Kareli Durga Puja Barwari at GTB Nagar, Kareli is attracting crowds by the hordes.
This is the lone Durga Puja pandal which has been established with the active support of the Muslim community of the locality.
“This Durga Puja pandal is just across my home at Kareli and for the past many years, the Muslim community of the locality have been very active, right from choosing the theme to supporting the organisers and contributing in all ways that we can help organisers,” shared Mohd Akram, a local.
The pandal at GTB Nagar’s Durga Puja Park is attracting many people and is witnessing a heavy footfall of visitors every day. Displaying an eye-catching glimpse of rural folk culture, the pandal has many clay statues depicting life in villages like bullock carts, animals and residents with earthen stoves, sheds etc. The eight feet high statue of Goddess Durga has also been spectacularly displayed.
“Nowadays, the younger generation is moving away from folk culture and that is why the rural environment has been shown artistically in the pandal,” said a member of the barwari, Gyanendra Kumar Srivastava.
The spectacular decoration of decorative lights impresses all visitors as do the artificial flowers, plants and trees displayed inside the pandal. On coming to this pandal, devotees feel as if they have come to a traditional Indian village.
“This pandal is decorated on the theme of Rabindra Nath Tagore’s story ‘Haat Bazaar’. A soldier is seen guarding his village at the entrance of the pandal. Shops selling fruits, flowers, earthenware, daily rations, tea, paan, spices etc. along with bullock carts parked at one side and shops of confectionery are all made of clay,” said the president of the barwari, Pradeep Dutta.
It also shows a Shiva temple and how a farmer looks after the things around him and a milkman taking care of his cattle, he added.
The general secretary of the barwari, Rajat Ghosh said, “All the 16 stalls have been made of clay, bamboo, tree trunk etc. and the artists have given it all a very life-like look.”
