In Kolkata, poetry and artwork from Gaza and Bengal famine converge in Durga Puja pandal

Among the theme-based Durga Pujas creating ripples amongst pandal hoppers and artwork lovers in Kolkata this 12 months is Behala Friends Durga Puja, which highlighted the continued humanitarian disaster at Gaza as their theme this 12 months, and juxtaposed it to the widespread hunger and dying witnessed within the Bengal famine of 1943.

“While we’ve not seen the Bengal famine ourselves, we’ve come throughout horrifying accounts by means of oral recollections of our elders, and thru writings from that period. When I launched into this mission, I realised that the man-made famine which was inflicted by colonial powers in Bengal is now being witnessed by the world within the Gaza genocide” artist Pradip Das instructed The Hindu.

Mr. Das, an alumni of the Government College of Art and Craft and Rabindra Bharati University, was the first artist who conceived of and designed the theme, pandal and idol at Behala Friends Durga Puja this 12 months. 

The theme of the puja has been titled ‘Nabanna’ after the title of a 1944 play by playwright Bijan Bhattacharya on the Bengal famine. 

Mr. Das mentioned that whereas engaged on the mission, he had reached out to photographer Seamus Murphy who had labored in West Asia, and Raeda Ghazaleh who is predicated in Jerusalem.

“Raeda recited poetry by her good friend, Naama Hassan, who alongside together with his household was within the Gaza Strip. When I learn the translated poem, I discovered parallels with the tales of starvation and dying depicted in Bengali poetry written on the famine. There is a connection, although West Bengal and Gaza are 5,000 kilometres away and the crises are 82 years aside,” Mr Das mentioned. 

Raeda’s poetry recitation is a part of the multi-layered soundscape within the Durga Puja pandal. With that, a number of visible parts got here collectively to direct the viewers in the direction of the collective imagery of the 2 space-time planes. At the doorway, guests go by means of an arch that resembles a human rib cage. Bangla and Gazan poetry are inscribed on the partitions, together with creative depictions of bullets and weapons. The partitions close to the idol had been scratched to depict scenes from the British occupation of India. 

“In place of the ten-handed type of the goddess, we put up a sculpture of a dishevelled and distressed lady to depict the ladies who bear the brunt of the aftermath of warfare and humanitarian crises. It is as if the goddess herself is begging for meals. On her aspect, there are refined representations of Durga’s little kids, in addition to her lion to maintain parts of Mahisasurmardini,” Mr, Das defined.

The Behala Friends Durga Puja additionally acquired vital traction throughout social media platforms the place reels and pictures of the pandal went viral. The organisers in addition to the artist mentioned they’re overwhelmed with the optimistic response from pandal hoppers.

Srinjoy Saha, a member of the organising committee, mentioned that the artist was given full freedom to discover the theme of the puja, and that they’re more than happy with how the pandal turned out as a story and creative expertise.

“Various sorts of individuals are visiting the pandal and each one is taking away totally different interpretations from it. The individuals have embraced our work. I can consider creating one thing like this solely in Kolkata,” Mr Das mentioned.