For children the more of these glittering arrangements, the better!At
the Sree Bhumi Sporting Club pandal - one of Kolkata's most extravagant
displays in the north eastern fringes - organisers have very
thoughtfully depicted India's space odyssey with lakhs of LEDs to keep
children occupied with the topic of space exploration while they queue
up through the 18 gates leading to the marquee.
"Space travel
always interests children and we thought the topic could be a good
conversation point between them and their parents. This way they will
remain engaged and not get bored during the lengthy queue."Since they
line up for hours on end to see the idols, the bright display of rockets
heading to Mars, space shuttles etc., will suit them," D.K. Goswami,
general secretary of the club told.
India began its space journey
in 1975 with the launch of Aryabhatta using a Russian rocket and till
date, it has completed over 100 space missions. In September, India
created space history by becoming the first country to enter the Martian
orbit in its debut attempt, courtesy the hugely-lauded Mars Orbiter
Mission (MOM).
"However, we could not incorporate the final stage
of the Mission as our plans were solidified five months ago. We have
also installed a mechanized, lit-up dragon for the children's
amusement," said Goswami, adding the lighting decorations cost around
Rs.15 to 18 lakh. At the popular celebration of Suruchi Sangha - that
focuses on one Indian state every year - theme artist Subrata Banerjee
wants visitors to take away the message of peace via the art and culture
of Chhattisgarh, a state facing Maoist violence."
The iron
figures in areas like Bastar are not made by moulding or casting, they
are made by hammering them out of red hot iron sheets."These tribals are
not touched by the lure of money - they are content in their own world
and are happy-go-lucky. However, it is unfortunate that extremism has
hit the state, which is a tourist draw for these artforms. So we want
visitors to see the importance of peace," Banerjee told.
To
replicate the figures and incorporate elements of the artforms, Banerjee
consulted craftsmen from the state and tried to flesh out the original
designs. Even the Durga idol has a distinct rustic look, complete with
folk art patterns sketched in the background."We got them to do the
native designs for us... many of them are being lost with the times and
we need to retain those. At the same time, they need to diversify and
innovate to cater to modern demands," he said.
On similar lines,
psychedelic totems, giant drums, drummers in customary attires, shields
and spears accentuate a typical bamboo hut of Nagaland at the Sovabazar 9
Pally puja."The north-east states are still an unknown entity for the
public and so we have brought a slice from Nagaland," a member of the
puja committee told.
