Just a few more pandals…..

This post is a gallery of Durga Puja pandal image highlights from our explorations of Kolkata pandals throughout the following three days of the holiday.   We admired some pandals for the beauty and creativity of their designs, and others for the mindbogglingly extensive craftsmanship that was required for their creation!

A South Kolkata pandal decorated entirely using braided jute.

DSCN3815

DSC_0353

DSC_0367

DSCN3817

A Central Kolkata gilded beauty –

DSC_0418

DSC_0422

DSC_0428

With images that are highly realistic — this pandal is also non-traditional in the sense that it includes many other figures besides  the traditional scene of Durga, Ganesh, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, Mahisasura, and the Lion.  Gods such as Brahma are also present, in addition to several human and animal onlookers.

DSC_0434
DSC_0449Durga’s lion atop Mahisharsura, the Buffalo Demon

DSC_0456

Amazing chandelier!

 DSC_0161

In South Kolkata, a hybrid pandal of  peacock, boat, and stone temple

DSC_0091

DSC_0147

the “boat’s” interior decorations

DSC_0118

DSC_0139A priest performs the traditional rites at the foot of this pandal’s Durga image.

DSC_0492

Waiting in line to go inside this monumental pandal near College Street, the famous central Kolkata street of booksellers.

DSC_0513 DSC_0518

DSC_0530

The Durga pandal, surrounded by the stony-textured interior

DSC_0531

The figures of this pandal also include a few image-makers, who are now forever putting the final touches on the pandal.

DSC_0572

And out the exit we go!  In the larger pandals, it is often very difficult to stay for a long time and enjoy the Durga pandal images, due to the numbers of people visiting, and the often very tight crowd controls.  In a couple of the larger pandals that we visited, we spent over an hour reaching the inside of the pandal, only to have about ten seconds to look, before traffic volunteers directed us to the exit.   However, in many of the community pandals, we were welcome to sit and spend as much time as we wanted.

DSCN4011

Enjoying the camaraderie and hospitality of a community pandal.

DSCN3846

DSC_0382

DSCN4053

DSCN4043Stan and I enjoyed a delicious lunch and great conversation with the community members sponsoring this pandal near Park Circus.

DSCN4044

DSC_0755

Durga pandal of a central Kolkata home, where Stan and I were invited in to share a bounty of homemade traditional sweets.

Soon the end of this holiday will come, and Durga will return home, after the pandals are physically and/or ritually immersed in flowing water.

Post a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.