Durga Puja in Kolkata: The Best Jewellery Decked Idols, 2014

Bengal’s biggest festival is the perfect amalgamation of lot activities; the auspicious arrival of Goddess Durga epitomizes triumph of good over evil powers. The idol of Ma Durga killing Mahishasura symbolizes defeat of devil in the hands of supreme reverent entity. According to the mythology, Durga puja also includes the worship of lord Shiva. During this celebrations goddess Durga returns home with her four children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya.

According to the mythology, she emerged due to the collective strength of all the Gods including lord Shiva, Vishnu and Bramha in order to save the universe from the tyranny of Mahishasura. Thereby she is the saviour of the whole world. And when she vanquishes the devil, it brings the lost joy and glory to the cosmos. So it is the celebration of colours, rituals, festivities, happiness while bringing all together. In this big traditional affair people pick the best clothes to look best, and pose in their best jewelry and other accessories and get to the puja venues with the family members and friends for the must Puspanjali in the early morning.

Right from the time when the idols begin to take shape in the ‘kumortuli’ to the ‘bisarjan’, the entire month is eventful. Even the day of mahalaya people start to feel the aura of Ma Durga at her home. The jostling of kaash flowers by the riverside, cotton like cloud accumulated in the sky all give the impression of her arrival.

Durga puja is the only time in the whole year to indulge into a whole lot of activities together; this time around everyone seeks blessings from elders, kids are over the moon about the school holidays, also it is time to throng into shops and stores for shopping, puja pandals are packed with people who are busy with their chit chat others are frantically engaged in puja’s ritualistic tasks, young people are planning with their pals to hop how many puja pandals in these 4-5 days, this is not the right time to follow diet, so eat where your eyes stop.

Also the traditional Bengali foods like Khichuri, labra, chutney, bhaja, payes are must. In this event people of all corners of society come together to eat, dance, chat etc. They literally participate in every aspect of the puja. Also pujas showcase craftsmanship and artistry of Bengal. The pandals’ decorations themes show the cultural flavours and rich heritage of regional areas of Bengal like terracotta pottery, dhokra metal casting, shell carving etc. In designing the idol we see the traditional touch or an iota of modernity. Sometimes she is in simple meek and mild form, sometimes her anger is showered on the monster. Every pandal has its own surprise element for the pandal hoppers.

Durga puja is perhaps the only occasion when you want to look your best. And to do that not only clothes but jewelry also plays a huge role. It is the most essential part of preparedness when you are going out. Also we decorate the idol with beautiful pieces of jewelry. For nearly two centuries Sawansukha Jewellers have been endorsing classy and qualitative jewelry.

These jewelry stands out for its exclusivity and uniqueness. The crafts and artistry of the jewelry is simply stunning. This year, has come up with a new idea holding a Sawansukha Jewellers Shera Alankar contest during puja. After shuffling through many pujas, Ultadanga Pallishree puja and Jodhpur park puja have won best prizes.

Jodhpur Park 95 Pally organizes one of the most creative theme pandal every year. In a series it has won some of the very prestigious prizes over the last decade. This year artist Sanatan Dinda created a mesmerizing set with a beautiful idol done in royal golden hue. Innovativeness seemed to be at peak this year at Durga Puja in their Pandal. The Pandal was in flower shape Made of Boats. The uniqueness of the concept, theme and idol got Jodhpur Park the Sharad Shrestha Salankara this year – an award sponsored by TOI in association with Sawansukha Jewellers. Here are some glimpses of the famous pujo –

This year Ultadanga’s theme was "Shaswata Shanti” which depicted a calm and peaceful Devi after killing the demon Mahishasura. The goddess with minimum embellishments sat tranquil and smiling. The best part of the decor was that the entire locality was painted white and a lot of fine art works used to create the perfect ambience related to the theme. a brilliant concept together with excellent craftsmanship bagged for Ultadanga Pallishree the special TOI Sharad Shrestha awards in category Shera Salankara and Shera Pujo.

Celebration of culture has broken all the geographical barriers. Not only in Kolkata but the other parts of Bengal the Durga puja celebration has been a major event over the years. The Puja organizers have enthusiasm, dedication and zeal to organize puja therefore they plan the pujas beforehand with the designers. With the traditional sound of dhak and smell of dhuno, they welcome the goddess of Shakti. Women and young girls do the decorative ‘alpana’ in front of the idol which is simply eye-catching. The lighting of the pandals needs to be dazzling and attractive. Also many get to the floor to dance to the tune of the dhak. With that dhunuchi naach makes the whole environ smoky. Lots get into the queue to receive their ‘Prasad’. People of other religion are showing their interests also in these cultural celebrations. Also the processions of the goddess are done with lot of care where with heavy heart people bid adieu. But there is hope alive that next year she will come again with the same pomp and splendor.