Bengali’s and their beloved Kolkata has certainly and quietly sparked a movement to turn their annual Durga Puja(o) bash into a massive city-wide public art work program. If one summarizes the way Durga Pujo has evolved, it’s a common fact that Pujo has come out of households to become a community celebration where an entire locality comes together to celebrate (commonly known as Barowari Pujo) is not a new thing. Pujo is truly a Sarbojonin (inclusive) practice. In fact, this coming out is a few hundred years old. When it comes to style transformation and If you ask critics, they will say Bengal’s Durga’s traditional style or decor (sabeki) with her sharply drawn eyes has been fast replaced by as people say, “Hema Malini Durga”, or goddess becoming to look like any powdered Bollywood Actress has rather been an episode that the so called well wishers would seldom like to remember.
A small initiative that started a few years ago to provide work to jobless young artists from the art schools of the city is suddenly becoming to look like an yearly movement, a powerful expression of what a community can do to express their ways of celebrating a religious festival that can easily be called a global phenomenon and a cutting edge cross-cultural one, a new wave that is sweeping the city with exquisite innovations, overwhelming corporate support, encouragement and more and more new ways of looking at Bengal’s humble Pujo. Kolkata calls it the new wave of Theme Pujo, or to explain it simply thematic or theme-based pujo where there is a certain sense of curation, a central narrative around the celebration that each pujo pandals pick and explore it with rather flying colours. Here are a few glimpses of some of this year’s jaw-dropping experiences.
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 4 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 3](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71146103_10158034475917214_526159972233379840_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 6 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 5](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72612844_10158034469272214_8334940236152832000_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 8 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 7](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71401304_10158034468617214_4381505990751682560_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 10 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 9](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72241498_10158034469697214_6922294770597363712_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 12 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 11](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71312284_10158034469522214_1138093005463355392_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 14 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 13](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71343765_10158034469637214_3820172800459538432_n.jpg)
A neighbourhood of where I stay in Kolkata, this pandal depicted a gigantic womb, the beginning of creation, made with absolutely unprecedented jugalbandi of Ghora (earthen pots), dried grass, bamboo and red-bordered textiles, which is typical of Bengal’s sacred objects. The massive round structure, a perfect circle moving upward like a gigantic mushroom that is adorned with millions of earthen pots greets the audience inside which is an inside out space, continuously moving like a living being with the goddess on one side and an audio visual of a potter on the other side. The overall experience of the space with its intense structure, music and ambience, creates a very other worldly sensation, a true next-generation thinking for a public space that can go many years ahead to achieve something like this.
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 16 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 15](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71300984_10158035173307214_3368579254395600896_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 18 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 17](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71520748_10158035173667214_3329353786232668160_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 20 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 19](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71529371_10158035173517214_3851735471440789504_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 22 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 21](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72207151_10158035173832214_3918009861949882368_n-1.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 24 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 23](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71251115_10158035172907214_1110926796150276096_n-1.jpg)
This pandal took our daily newspapers to a next level of exploration by using it in many ways to scenograph a space. While choosing the papers, they featured stories that Bengali’s are emotional about and important to Bengal’s history. Innovative use of lights and paper folds coming together and making extensive use of origami makes this space comes alive with a key message of up cycling.
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 26 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 25](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72121650_10158034489292214_1035798528128974848_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 28 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 27](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71795285_10158034489572214_91110927956443136_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 30 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 29](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71312076_10158034489952214_1855312720958586880_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 32 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 31](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72253801_10158034490322214_5703161792457342976_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 34 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 33](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71776710_10158034490457214_3967179923159777280_n.jpg)
Based on a poem by Tagore, “Kolkata is still in Kolkata”, this pandal explores the city’s main features that remain unchanged and the people living in the city are happy to co-exist with their grand old urban memories that as Bengalis say “refuse to change”. Right from congested walls of the old city to a birds-eye view of the city scape being used as the inner ceiling of the pandal, this structure truly makes Tagore’s poem comes alive and makes it relevant for today.
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 36 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 35](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71956734_10158044631642214_6185452410383630336_n-1.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 38 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 37](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71497433_10158044630022214_8938538975539232768_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 40 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 39](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72450293_10158044630852214_2904781670429229056_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 42 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 41](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71904157_10158044631892214_6586316577296089088_n-2.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 44 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 43](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71841120_10158044631767214_497884037860294656_n.jpg)
Kolkata’s nostalgia is multifaceted and layered. This pandal beautifully explores the quintessential nukes and corners of the city that at times are heavy with memories, some memorable, some may be of dark past. Refugees, the city’s intimate neighbourhood where the walls are thin, a collage of lifestyle of many who comes to the city to earn a living from all over the country, this pandal opens up a new way of looking at space where imperfection is celebrated with much pomp and under privileged are given a voice. This was my favourite.
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 46 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 45](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72113368_10158035215317214_8286427094485827584_n-1.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 48 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 47](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72155679_10158035215992214_639259118405681152_n-1.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 50 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 49](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71468799_10158035216927214_5613016038141591552_n.jpg)
India’s is rich in the tribal knowledge system. Unfortunately, our future generation is not well informed about our Adivasis. This pandal explores the Tribal ways of building and decorating the space by engaging Khobar and Sohrai painters of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. Instead of goggling their painting or referring to any books, these organisers actually invited a large group of tribal painters in Kolkata for months to build this pandal with a space designer. This certainly is a new way of looking at livelihood for our Adivasi friends.
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 52 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 51](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72360585_10158035216592214_5956728763168325632_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 54 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 53](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71678522_10158035217552214_3742439901061185536_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 56 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 55](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71475832_10158044610087214_3086336947417776128_n-1.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 58 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 57](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72529202_10158044610807214_8179231917732790272_n.jpg)
North-East India and Bengal’s Bamboo and Cane artisans takes lead for this pandal. Its abstract cane arches, the bamboo interior and its light arrangements make it a very special treat and shows space designers how these humble day to day materials can achieve when you think innovative.
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 60 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 59](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72860065_10158044596527214_4348734402440724480_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 62 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 61](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/71678101_10158044596357214_8576528611794747392_n.jpg)
![Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 64 Kolkata's Unexplored Durga Puja Scenography, a photo story by Arghya Ghosh 63](https://architecture.live/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/72264883_10158044598797214_6627528772776099840_n.jpg)
The traditional backdrop of Bengal’s Durga becomes the centre of attraction here. It is important to note, Durga puja provides livelihood to many local artisans and ancillary units. While mostly the main focus goes on making the goddess, one often forgets to notice the elaborate backdrop which is called Chalchitra. In this pandal, this backdrop becomes the main key to pandal decor. Its unique slant positioning makes it look like an image of immersion. The overall treatment of the backdrop, the details of it, and its traditional arch-typical ways are happily challenged here and the result is fascinatingly fresh and new ways of looking at decor that was always there with us but which we often tend to ignore, unknowingly.