Kolkata: Three of Durga Pujas Big-Budget City pay tribute to those who fall in the war against citizens, artists, prominent pandemic fighters decades with their pues suddenly stopped by Covid-19.
Hatu Pandal Nabin Pally has great photos of 56 locals who live in Ganendra Mitra Lane or Nalin Sarkkar Street and inhale their last in the past half a year.
In the 88th year, the Parasanta PAL artist has chosen the theme ‘Tarpan’, Hindu habits where someone pays respect for the souls who have left.
“These men and women are an integral part of the puja before we lose them with a pandemic,” said Casmuser Amitava Ray.
The new he lost his wife for post-covid complications earlier this month, while he was still working in a pandal.
He and his wife both suffered from Covid last August.
They recovered, but he was then diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, and then developed interstitial lung disease.
He died on October 2 on 2.
In Abasar Sarbajanin in Bhowanipor, the Shibshankar Artist Das had created an art installation with photos of people from the area who died during a traditional mirror frame.
The list of 22 people includes seven leading club members and personalities such as The Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee, Journalist Anjan Bandyopadhyay, Sanat Ghosh photographer, 66 Pally President of Rajat Sengupta and Subrata Subrata Saudhin Secretary.
“I made an installation with collages of people involved directly in the culture of Puja, and who we lost in the past half of the year,” said the watershed, who had presented the theme ‘Jibon Jibonary Jonyo’.
Tridhara Sammilani, High Profile Puja on Jalan Manoharkukur near Deshapriya Park in South Kolkata, has been wearing a pandal with thousands of Covid-19 victims from all states.
“Our government tries hard to fight a pandemic, but we are still losing invaluable lives.
Our theme, ‘Sraddha’, pays respect for dead souls,” explained Debasish Kumar, President of the Puja Committee.
Several high profile clubs, such as 41 Pally, Haridevpur and Naktala Udayan Sangha, have lost 16 and five members each with the killer virus.
They have held a warning meeting in their honor.
Naktala Udayan Sangha arranged a blood donor camp at their club’s club last August, dedicated to club members who died of Covid.
“We lost 16 members who were very close to our hearts, but we decided to respond to their photos in Pandal,” said Secretary Club Dipankar Chatterjee.
Pandal from BeliaDhata 33 Pally Bashi Brinda has featured only one photo: namely Tapasi Dey, 56, a woman who has led the Puja before she died for Covid-19.
“We lost seven club members but the committee had decided to display only one photo, that my wife, who was intrinsically related to Puja,” said the Dey Dey club president told.
The SIB Mandir Committee Sarbojanin Durga Puja lost 13 members in the past two years, including vice president and former president.
Most of those who die have co-morbidity.
“We have installed all their photos in our club room to respect,” Secretary of Parha Ghosh said.
The Mudial Club has decided to keep the celebration to mengikanan and cancel the traditional ‘Dhamsa-Madal’ group of 12 members from Jangalmahal and other voice arrangements to honor the four club members who died during the second wave of Covid.