By Tirthankar Mitra
KOLKATA: An idea is doing the rounds in the West Bengal saffron camp to have the image of Goddess Durga and her entourage in the “Sanatani” way replacing “theme pujas” after 19 lives were snuffed out in a stampede at a community puja in Chorbagan on Saptami night. But pujas based on themes proliferated all over the city be it the “traditional north’ or “progressive south”. Theme puja pandals of Kolkata drew huge crowds as community organisers vied with each other to base the theme of their pujas on matinee idols, cultural icons together with old advertisement seeking clientele for as diverse items as hair cream and watches.
A case is being tried to be made out that theme pujas attract huge crowds and trigger stampede. The Chorbagan puja cannot be called a theme puja but it’s idol did not match the tradition type. Yet it drew a big crowd. The stampede at Chorbagan had nothing to do with the image but owed its origin to human factor. The theme pujas are being organised for years. And they have been incident free till date.
Closest to the Bengali heart, Uttam Kumar whose films once ran simultaneously to several packed houses continues to be a favourite theme. His screen consort Suchitra Sen combining regal beauty and the charm of a girl next door is not far behind.
And whatever a BJP legislator from North-24-Parganas may say against “theme pujas”, leaders of his own party much senior to him in years and hierarchy are not immune to the charms of such pujas. To begin right from the top, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari inaugurated the Chorbagan puja whose image do not conform to the Sanatani ideal.
It is in the news for the wrong reasons. But chief minister Adhikari who swears by Sanatani ideology had no qualms to inaugurate it no matter the look of the image does not reconcile with an idea close to his heart.
Next comes, state finance minister Swapan Dasgupta. Resplendent in spotless white dhoti-kurta he was at the pandal of Samajsebi Sangha in the heart of Rashbehari Assembly segment whose theme was Uttam Kumar. Dasgupta has been elected from Rashbehari. And the eminent columnist saw nothing wrong to rub shoulders with the voters of his constituency at this community puja though it is based on a theme.
A Bengali at heart he was vocal in the condemnation of the vandalism at book stalls set up by CPI(M) and other Left parties. He knows only too well ignoring or speaking against a puja whose theme is Uttam Kumar would dent his vote bank.
And that is the last thing the first time legislator can allow. Small wonder, the former Rajya Sabha member is loath to let go a golden opportunity of public contact especially when it comes up to him in his home constituency on the occasion of paying respect to a goddess whose worship is the biggest festival of West Bengal.
Rabindranath Tagore is inarguably the biggest icon of Bengal. But Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay whose works in print are best sellers while made into hit films like Devdas is also close to the Bengalis as well as others living afar.
Purbachal Shakti Sangha off Anwar Shah Road-By pass connector has Chattpadhaya’s works as its theme. The crowds were greeted by a cutout of Suchitra Sen at the entrance of the pandal.
Sen played the lead role in Datta penned by Chattopadhayay. A cut out of Uttam Kumar sees off the pandal hoppers at the exit. The Mahanayak essayed the role of Sabyasachi in Chattopadhayay’s Pather Dabi. The theme was in the fitness of things as Chattopadhsyay was born in 1876.And this year was his 150th birth anniversary.
Eminent dancer, Uday Shankar the pioneer of modern Indian dance occupied the centre-stage of the community puja at Jagat Mukherjee Park at Sovabazar in north Kolkata. The pandal is still from Kalpana, his film on dance which also features his wife Amala Shankar.
There is a recreation of a fresco from Ajanta caves whose sculpture heavily influenced Sankar’s dancing style. “When I dance I am nearer to God” these words of Uday Shankar were inscribed near his cutout.
The puja at Bakul Bagan in chief minister. Adhikari’s constituency in Bhowanipore is chock-a-bloc with old advertisements. Old advertisements of wrist watches, fountain pens, almanacs, icecream and of course a hair cream advertisement showing a Kishor Kumar. lookalike make the passersby stand and stare.
Themes have been a part and parcel of Kolkata pujas for decades. And no orthodox priest or prelate has ever objected to it And there was no cause for their umbrage For the image and rituals have never failed to be in keeping with the scriptures.
And some of its members seek to be more loyal to the crown than the king. They are welcome to their thoughts. But an effort of these worthies to translate these thoughts into action can end up with egg on their face. Indeed this trend has been on the rise of late.
The upshot of the week long Puja festival is this that the BJP’s efforts to impose sanatani views on Puja organisers have had no impact on the themes of the Puja pandals which were as varied and creative as before. The common Bengalees including BJP supporters paid little heed to the dictat of the Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The creativity of the themes continued. BJP as a party had to retreat and reconciled with the themes. (IPA Service)
