Durga pandals in city showcase nari shakti, tapestry of themes

Hyderabad: Local Bengalis have embraced captivating themes for Durga Puja celebrations, turning the festival into a cultural spectacle in the city. This year, many pandals will feature distinctive themes, including representations of women empowerment, scenes from Hindu mythology, and more.

This year, along with various eye-catching themes, pandal hoppers can catch glimpses of the new puja pandal that will dot up in various lanes in the city, including Jeedimetla, Kompally, and Picket. The six-day Durga puja will take place from October 8 to 13.

Sanjay Pan, vice president of the Bengalee Cultural Association, shared, "This marks our 51st year of celebrating Sree Sree Durga Puja. This year, we pay tribute to Indian spirituality by presenting Maa Durga in the form of the wisdom goddesses. In essence, we are honouring the Dasha Maha Vidya, the ten traditional wisdom goddesses, each symbolising a concept tied to a unique way of life, outlook, and mindset, guiding individuals towards spiritual growth. The Maha Vidyas are represented in ten distinct forms, each embodying a unique concept. We also plan to highlight the RG Kar Hospital incident on one side of the function hall. Our main goal with this theme is to showcase the strength of women. Additionally, the entire hall will be illuminated with the same decorative lights used to adorn the grand puja pandals in West Bengal."

“Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha in Secunderabad is celebrating its 59th year by fashioning its pandal on the theme of the famous South Indian Temple. However, the major attraction of the puja is going to be the goddess idols that are completely made up of clay; even the goddess clothes will be made up of clay,” said Subrata Ganguly, general secretary of BSS.

"With theme-based puja celebrations gradually gaining popularity in the city, we've decided to embrace this trend once again. This year, we have planned a grand celebration while adhering to all traditional rituals. Our puja will feature a Palanquin theme pandal,” said Dr Chiranjit Ghosh, founder of Uttaran Bangiya Samiti, Narsingi. "We are celebrating the 6th Prabashi Durgotsab in a grand and unique style! This year, we are blending tradition with modernity by presenting a Sabeki Durga idol within a contemporary, fusion-designed pandal, creating a truly mesmerising experience." In addition, we plan to recreate Kolkata's iconic Dacres Lane, with 12 expert chefs flown in from Kolkata to serve authentic Bengali street food. Our cultural program will be a sensory feast, featuring breathtaking dance performances, soulful songs, and captivating musical acts by renowned artists from both Kolkata and Hyderabad," said Anirban Guha, General Secretary of the Prabashi Socio-Cultural Association Durgotsab, Nizampet.

"One of the oldest Durga Puja celebrations, organised by the Hyderabad Bengali Samiti (HBS), has been held for the past 82 years, and this will be our 83rd year. As in previous years, the idol will feature the traditional Dahker Saaj, and this is the only puja pandal in the city that transports the idol directly from Kumartuli in Kolkata. All rituals, down to the finest details, will be performed by scholars and priests brought in from Kolkata, maintaining our commitment to tradition," said Dilip Bhattacherjee, executive member of HBS.

Additional captivating themes include a replica of the Prem Mandir, which will be set up in the lanes of the Old City. Another visually striking theme is from the Cyberabad Bangali Association, which plans to decorate with a mukut/ head crown which brings back intricately woven designs from rural Bengal, an art form which is known as the Tarer Saaj (that is wire decoration). The overall thematic representation focuses on simplicity and minimalism.