This Durga puja, women entrepreneurs can walk into a pandal with a dream and walk out with a roadmap to turn the dream into reality.
Newtown Sarbojanin, the puja started in 2022 at the Clock Tower ground, in its second year has launched DurgaPreneur, a competition-based initiative to encourage entrepreneurship among women.
The puja, which is conducted by women priests and has women dhakis playing, had felicitated women entrepreneurs in its inaugural year. This year it wants to create them.
"We want to present a platform for new business ideas where startups can get access to funds. It will be open to investors from across the country, be they venture capitalists, portfolio managers or high net worth individuals,” said Pijush Ranjan Ghosh, a member of the core committee of DurgaPreneur.
The start-up fundraising event will take place on Saptami, Ashtami and Navami. “On each day, 30 shortlisted participants will get to pitch their ideas before potential investors.
While Saptami is for those involved in social activities, Ashtami is for young innovators aged 18 to 24 with bright business ideas and Navami is for those looking to scale up their business by raising funds,” said Rahul Banerjee of PGP Academy, a wealth management and corporate finance training institute, which is partnering the event.
The organisers are starting with three days but aim to provide support round the year, added Banerjee, a resident of Anahita in Action Area IIB.
The organisers are confident of investor participation. “Flight and hotel bookings have started. Since they are coming during the Puja days, they will get a taste of Bengal and Durga puja as well,” he said.
The logo of the initiative was launched on the occasion of Newtown Sarbojanin's khuti puja. “We aim to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among women and youngsters across the country,” said puja president Urmila Sen.
The logo of the initiative was launched on the occasion of Newtown Sarbojanin's khuti puja. “We aim to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among women and youngsters across the country,” said puja president Urmila Sen.
CF Block
●The milk white Palladian porch at Prinsep Ghat is what the pandal of the CF Block puja committee will be modeled on. The theme of the 45th edition of Durgotsav was announced at the block's khuti puja held on Sunday in a homely atmosphere, in presence of residents.
Secretary Anindya Chakraborty said the structure was a notable tourist spot with historical and archaeological value. “We will create the ambience with lighting and decoration.”
The 1843 monument, built in memory of English Orientalist James Prinsep, lends itself well to a Puja pandal. Last autumn, JC Block too had used it as its model.
The date of the khuti puja was chosen as the tithi was auspicious, being Sravan Purnima. The budget for the year is Rs 22.5 lakh. The idol will be sculpted by Dilip Pal of Picnic Garden.
There are plans to host a special programme on Navami and details are being finalised, said Sagnik Chakraborty, the youngest member of the puja committee.
Priest Shibdas Byakarantirtha, who is conducting the ritual in the block for over a decade, said there was no mention of khuti puja in the scriptures and the ritual was more of a modern-day trend. “Earlier we used to have kathamo puja, in which the wooden framework of the idol was worshipped before the idol was sculpted,” he said
New Town CA Block
●Durga puja in New Town’s CA Block this year will revisit advertisements of yesteryears. On July 14, the block held a tree plantation ceremony, a blood donation camp and the much-awaited khuti puja, where the puja’s theme was partially disclosed.
“The ideas and styles of advertisements have evolved since the late 80s and 90s to the present day, thanks to changes in capitalist economy,” said Hirak Das, an artist from the Dunlop area who will be in charge of the pandal’s theme. “My students from art college will help me with execution. I have a strong connection with the residents of CA Block, making this work more personal than professional,” he said.
“While the look is yet to be described by Das, we expect the streets around the pandal to feature graffiti during Puja,” stated block secretary Biswadip Bhowmik.
Tollywood actor Debdut Ghosh attended the khuti puja and planted the first sapling as a part of the tree plantation ceremony. “It does not take much to plant a sapling but takes determination and love to nurture it,” said Ghosh.
Madhumita Bera and Ananya Chatterjee from St. Jude India ChildCare Centre were also there. “In previous ceremonies we have brought cancer-stricken children to our block in an attempt to let them have a good time despite their struggles,” said Bhowmik. A blood donation camp was also held and donors came from various parts of New Town.
HB Block
●Bengal’s rural art and handicrafts will be in focus at HB Block’s puja this year. This will be the puja's 39th edition and they plan to showcase talent from across the districts.
The theme was announced at their khuti puja that was attended by minister and MLA Sujit Bose and mayor Krishna Chakraborty. “Durga puja is such a unique festival that even Unesco has now recognised it as intangible cultural heritage,” said Bose, talking of the post-Puja carnival on Red Road and justifying the grandeur of the festival by the money it generates in the economy.
He also shared how he had sent a Durga idol and sweets for bhog to Mumbai for singer Abhijeet’s puja in Lokhandwala during the pandemic as there was no sculptor available then.
Mayor Chakraborty described Durga puja as a “praner utsav” that marks the victory of good over evil. "After the Unesco tag, people all over the world are curious about the history and background of our puja. I hope HB Block’s theme teaches them about art and culture of rural Bengal,” she said.
Among other dignitaries present were filmmaker and HB Block resident Goutam Halder, former Cricket Association of Bengal president Avishek Dalmiya, footballer Shilton Paul, MLA from Budge Budge Ashok Kumar Deb, councilors Ranjan Poddar, Anita Mondal and Tulsi Sinha Roy.
Priest Chandan Bhattacharya explained the significance of khuti puja and theme makers Amit-Arindam (Amit Manna and Arindam Roy) spoke about the concept. “We are inspired by the lines Tagore had written along with his autograph to Satyajit Ray — dekha hoi nai chokshu melia...,” said Arindam. “Many of us are globe-trotters but with little exposure to our own culture. This puja will showcase our art and handicraft.”
“Our mission is to showcase and acquaint the next generation about our cottage industries,” said one of the organsiers, Kabindra Banerjee. “We will also put up stalls with handicrafts and food from the districts. And as part of Puja celebrations, we shall also undertake a tree plantation drive across parks in our block.”
“We usually perform khuti puja on Ultarath but this time we got slightly delayed,” said secretary, Ram Shekhar Saha. The budget this year is about Rs 22 lakh and the idol will be sculpted by Kalachand Rudra Pal.
CE Block
●In its 44th year, CE Block will recreate an aspect of the Sunderbans. The ambition is making the organisers leave the comfortable confines of the community hall and erect their pandal outside in open air in the park.
Amit Chatterjee, veteran art director who has worked in films like Prakton and Haami2, has been entrusted with the theme. But there will be no digging up around the pandal to recreate the creeks in the mangrove backwaters. “A river, we have been given to understand, will be simulated through light and sound. Motifs typical of the Sunderbans will be simulated as well,” said secretary Rajdeep Dutta.
Chatterjee, who has done a documentary film on the forest, recalls travelling extensively in both the villages and the core area. “One major problem people of the Sunderbans face is saline water breaching the embankments and entering the village. This ruins agriculture as well as their drinking water supply," he said.
What he plans to create is an embanked village, where Durga puja is taking place in the thakurdalan. “There will be a form of Banbibi, the forest deity, that is found in the dense jungle, not completely finished but suggested in vermillion smeared on a five ft frame wrapped in red cloth,” he added.
In the run-up to the Puja, the block plans to hold a discussion on mangrove conservation, creating synergy with the theme. “We need to create awareness in the city as Calcuttans go to the Sunderbans as tourists and often damage the ecosystem,” said CE Block Welfare Association president Debashis Sen,
