Vishwakarma Puja at Chowrasta-Muchipara auto stand in Behala
At this pandal, organisers have recreated the famous motorcycle sequence from the 1961 classic Saptapadi. At the Chowrasta-Muchipara auto stand on Route 214, the theme is closer to the organisers’ everyday lives.
One of the organisers, Sanjay Das, said a miniature idol was worshipped while the bigger one was displayed as a tribute to Uttam Kumar. We wanted to highlight that connection,” said organiser Raju Shaw. At the Sadhu Ashram rickshaw stand on SN Roy Road in Behala’s Sahapur, the inspiration comes from Bengal’s cinematic history. The film sequence features Uttam Kumar and Suchitra Sen, lip-syncing to the tunes of the evergreen song ‘Ei Poth Jodi Na Sesh Hoy. The Vishwakarma idol has been placed on a motorcycle, with the statue of a female seated behind him, recreating the memorable frame from the film. The theme is based on an auto garage. The pandal has been designed to resemble a workshop, with the organisers seeking to underline the role of neighbourhood garages, which are mostly smaller in scale, in sustaining livelihoods and contributing to the local economy. The pandal was inaugurated by MLA Shankar Sikder. “The idea behind the theme is to show how an auto garage is also a form of industry. Such a workshop can provide livelihood to several people. At the C&W Workshop in Liluah, the organisers have gone in a different direction. They have opted for a Buddha-inspired theme, keeping sustainability at the centre of the installation. Lord Vishwakarma has been created here using discarded materials, including paper, while old drums and other scrap have been used to construct the pandal.