India News | Big Ticket Durga Puja Committees in Kolkata Begin Plan for Next Year

Kolkata, Nov 2 (PTI) Several big ticket Durga Puja committees have begun preparations for next year's celebrations by clinching deals with theme artistes.

The committees, however, have refused to reveal the themes fearing that the ideas could be used by other puja organisers.

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The five-day Durga Puja festivities in 2024 start on October 9.

Naktala Udayan Sangha, which had themed its 2023 celebrations on people's lives in post-Partition era, said the 2024 puja celebrations will see "a new artiste and new thinking."

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Another award-winning puja committee, Kashi Bose Lane in north Kolkata, which had themed its pandal on 'Chaina Hote Uma' (against incidents of abuse of women and trafficking) this year, announced they will stick to theme-artiste Rintu Das next year "to create history again."

"Our journey for 2024 puja starts from today. We will be roping in Das again to create history," puja committee general secretary Somen Dutta said.

Dutta said they shared a post on social media 'Jatra Suru 2024', affirming the puja committee's decision to begin the campaign immediately.

"We have already started planning for next year's Durga Puja celebrations. This helps us to build up the theme and start preparations in advance," he added.

Das, who is a much sought-after theme maker among big ticket pujas in the city, is an arts college graduate.

Renowned sculptor Bhabatosh Sutar, who has been involved with theme pujas such as Naktala Udayan Sangha, Chetla Agrani and Behala Natun Dal in past years, said, "I have decided to work with Arjunpur Amra Sabai Durga Puja committee at Kestopur for another year."

Sutar's theme narrative 'Manabi' (the goddess as human), which had portrayed violation of women in Manipur, had earned a lot of praise among pandal hoppers.

MLA and Kolkata Municipal Corporation mayor-in-council member Debashis Kumar, who is the president of award winning Tridhara Sammilani in south Kolkata, said, "the trend to book theme artiste soon after a puja has become intense as organisers are serious about presenting a unique theme which will click and connect with masses and fetch them laurels.”

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)