Durga Puja ​2011 like every year was full of creativity. Extravagant pandals, artistic Durga idols and artistic creation across the latitude and longitude of Kolkata made 2011 Puja celebrations a worthwhile journey. As you prepare yourself for 2012 Durga Puja celebrations, here's a flashback of 2011

Durga Puja ​2011 like every year was full of creativity. Extravagant pandals, artistic Durga idols and artistic creation across the latitude and longitude of Kolkata made 2011 Puja celebrations a worthwhile journey. As you prepare yourself for 2012 Durga Puja celebrations, here's a flashback of 2011​

​Bosepukur Sitalamandir celebrated 63rd year of Durga Puja by paying their tribute to the working class. Artist Biswanath Dey conceptualised the pandal and used handpulled rickshaw as the main medium to convey the thought. Viewers of Kolkata went nostalgic in memories of old handpulled rickshaws which are a rare view in today's Kolkata. The light works were created by Tapan Naia.

Anirban Das celebrated 21st year of Bosepukur Talbagan using Kalamkari style and South Indian dolls. The entire pandal was in the shape of a monument with intricate use of Kalamkari cloth intercepted by moving dolls. The idol looked very modern with respect to the pandal theme.

​Subrata Banerjee conceptualized the idea of 2012. He prayed that Human Cloning be stopped in the same way devi Durga eradicated mahisasura Raktabij. Subodh Roy created the idol in sync with the theme and Susanta Halder created the lighting effects. Ankita Banerjee assisted Subrata in the theming and direction.

Ballygunge Cultural presented a glimpse of Rajasthan in their 2012 Durga Puja pandal. A rajasthani village set up with intricate finishing and a colourful idol of Maa Durga made the ambience ravishing. The puja was also studded with some amazing cultural events including performance by Chandrabindoo.

FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ballygunge-Cultural-Association/203254839708456

​Bhavanipore 75 Pally celebrated its 48th year of Durga Puja giving us flavors of Somnath temple. The entire mandap had soothing shades of Blue and White. Artist Mintu Pal did a great job inspite of working with space constraints

Bandhan Raha created 2012 pandal for Badamtala. In their 74th year of celebrations, Bandhan Raha’s theme was “Ebar Ulto Pathe” where he showcased some of his finest creations in Durga Pujas over the last decade. For a seasoned pandal hopper, Badamtala’s 2012 pandal would be a nostalgic recollection of some of finest works that Kolkata has seen over the years.

Website: http://www.badamtalaasharsangha.com/

Shyamal Ray and Raja Das conceptualized the pandal of Bosepukur Parijat in their 43rd year of celebrations. The subject this year was "Bhaba Soikate Bhavani" which essentially means they welcomed Devi Durga in a land of sands where the temple, ambience and the entire premise had carvings made of sand.

Website: www.bosepukurparijatclub.in

​Like every year, Ekdalia Evergreen was at its extravagant best even this year.  A ravishing pandal resembling a temple, a glittering ceiling and a detailed Maa Durga in a traditional backdrop pulled crowd in thousands during the puja days.

This pandal has been created as a replica of Swami Vivekananda's samadhi temple present in Belur Math, Bengal. The walls of the pandal presented multiple snippets of quotes and life experiences of Swami Vivekananda. The idol of Maa Durga was a traditional one.

Golden Arrow Club celebrated its 50th year of Durga Puja Celebrations. The pandal used tribal bamboo art to create a rustic rural atmosphere. Anno Chetana from Hoogly played the key role in creating the pandal while Shamita Sen conceptualized the panda

Bhavanipore Sadhin Sangha celebrated this year's puja remembering Rabindranath Tagore's famous novel, "Tasher Desh". Kingshuk Sarkar's colorful creativity using the walls as well as three dimensional models made the pandal look attractive. The idol of Maa Durga was also unique which used the reflective pattern that is observed in playing cards!

Gouranga Kuila created a fusion of Durga and Budhha in the pandas of Tridhara Sammilani. Here Durga resembled a calm and peaceful look. The entire pandal was made of bronze and wood carvings. As usual Gouranga Kuila's work was flawless. Tridhara won Asian Paints Sharad Samman in Discovery of Year category.

Website - http://www.tridhara.org

The pandal created a blend of rural and urban life with two parallel layers on every wall. Partha Roy was the artist who used multiple types of wood craft and along with wall painting. The idol also resembled an ethnic style.

A colourful pandal surrounded by walls decorated with murals made of dried leaves was 2012 offering of Lake Youth Club.

​

Purnendu De designed and created the pandal for 27th year of celebrations. The structure was colourful and vibrant and resembled the same mix as that of a peacock. The idol of Maa Durga was equally artistic with a stark and contrasting colour relative to the panda background.

Like every year, Singhi Park was at its extravagant best in its 71st year of Durga Puja celebrations.  A ravishing pandal resembling a temple, a glittering ceiling and a detailed Maa Durga in a traditional backdrop pulled crowd in thousands during the puja days.

Website: http://www.singhipark.com​

Mudiali's 2012 pandal was created by artist Susanta Paul. Susanta Paul deviated from the typical themes of Kolkata pujas and presented an ambience  reminding us of traditional puja set ups. The chalchitra and ornaments of Durga were used extensively in this glittering pandal.

Roy Street Sarbojonin's presented a traditional pandal with a fitting idol of Maa Durga. They also presented the crowd with a exhibition of ancient Durga images and photographs.