Temple replicas to zamindar houses, pandals bring alive tradition

Noida: From replicas of Bishnupur terracotta temple in Bankura to Ayodhya's Ram temple and traditional wooden houses, the ‘Bonedi Bari' of affluent zamindars of Bengal in Sectors 21-15 or depiction of rural Bengal in Sector 50, Durga Puja pandals in Noida will have various themes this year. In Ghaziabad, themes will include gamcha (a towel weaved in handloom) as an ode to the handloom tradition of West Bengal.
Ananya Nari at Shalimar Garden will have every role, from the priest to the dhaki, adorned by women, championing women empowerment as the driving theme.
Anupam Banerjee, vice president of Noida Kalibari in Sector 26, told TOI, "This year's pandal will be a replica of the famous Bishnupur terracotta temple. These temples, constructed between 1622 CE and 1758 CE, represent the local architectural heritage of Bengal, blending history with devotion."
The Noida Kalibari enters its 42nd edition this year, the oldest in the city. An additional attraction of the temple is the Jago Durga contest, now in its 3rd year, which brings together Durga puja committees from Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad, where the best presentation is judged by a jury and awarded for its pandal theme and idol. "The competition awards the best pandal, best idol and overall categories, with the winners selected by a panel of external judges. This initiative fosters community spirit and celebrates artistic excellence across the region," said Banerjee.
The Jalvayu Vihar Sanskritik Kalyan Samity (JVSKS) in sectors 21 and 25 is the second oldest in the city. The JVSKS Durga puja this year will pay homage to the rich cultural heritage of Bengal - The Bonedi Bari. "Bonedi bari defines the great traditional houses that once belonged to the zamindars, aristocrats and other affluent people. The theme will transport visitors to the opulent palaces of the Bengali aristocracy," said Ananya Chokroborty from JVSKS.
In Sector 50, Saptarshi Sangha (SSDP) will celebrate with a rural Bengal theme. "This festival amalgamates our Puranas, Vedas, religion, spirituality, rich heritage, ancient wisdom and folklore -- all of which are scientifically linked to bountiful Indian harvesting cycles and favourable seasons, when granaries are full," said Arindam Mukherjee from the Saptarshi Sangha Puja Samiti.
In Ghaziabad, the Prantic Cultural Society (PCS), Indirapuram, will have a Ramayan theme. Abhijit Roy, founder-member and vice president of PCS said: "Our objective of choosing the theme Ramayan through the eyes of the cottage artisans is to showcase the unique artwork of the artisans of Bengal in depicting the epic tales of Ramayan ."