Latest news with #Mahalaya
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Idol makers go back to plastic to protect Durga from water damage
1 2 3 4 Kolkata: With only two months to go for Mahalaya, and more rain predicted in the coming days, artisans in Kumartuli are racing against time to complete Durga idols. July and Aug are usually the busiest for idol makers, as well as the most challenging, with persistent rain, overcast skies, and humidity hampering the drying and detailing of the clay idols. This year, most idol makers have taken proactive steps to ensure work doesn't come to a halt, like installing blow dryers, pedestal fans, and makeshift ovens, and waterproofing their workshops with tarpaulin sheets and plastic covers. Though Durga Puja will start in the last week of Sept this year, many puja committees will take idol deliveries earlier. "Idol makers depend on clear skies and strong sunlight to naturally dry the clay structures before painting and decorating. But this time every year, rain, overcast conditions, and lack of proper sunlight delay the process. Many artisans have taken measures to weather the monsoon and continue work unhindered," said Kartik Pal of Kumartuli Mritshilpi Sanskritik Samiti, a local artisans' collective. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Over 600 idol workshops line the alleys of Kumartuli, many of them makeshift sheds vulnerable to leaks and flooding. "We have waterproofed our workshop using layers of plastic and installed pedestal fans. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No room on your Mac? Space Lens can easily and safely fix that MacPaw Read More Undo It's not ideal, but it's better than losing days of work because of water damage," said Prodyut Pal, an idol maker in Kumartuli. Artisans are using small ovens to dry smaller parts, like hands, faces, and weapons. Mala Pal, one of the few female idol makers in Kumartuli, said: "We have strict delivery deadlines. This year, we've invested in blow torches and pedestal fans to speed up the drying process inside the workshops." Durga Puja is more than a tradition — it's an economy. From decorators to transporters, everyone's schedule depends on the timely completion of idols.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
12 city stretches to be no-hoarding, no-advertisement zones: KMC
1 2 3 Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided not to allow hoardings and advertisements within 50 m of 12 key intersections in the city. It reiterated the no-advertisement zones in the city, which include the central business district, the Maidan, Park Street, Camac Street, East Kolkata Wetlands, Rabindra Sarobar, and Subhas Sarobar. Hoardings will not be allowed in green zones, which include Biswa Bangla Sarani between Kolkata airport and Science City, and the route from the airport to Nabanna via Chinar Park, VIP Road, Major Arterial Road through New Town, Maa flyover, and AJC Bose Road flyover. The notification also laid out conditions for the display of temporary banners during Durga Puja and other festivals while restricting the size of flex banners used for temporary display. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The 12 crossings from where hoardings will be removed are Gariahat, Ballygunge Phari, Park Circus Seven Point, Moulali, Rajabazar, Ultadanga, Shyambazar Five Point, Hazra, Exide, Golpark, Taratala, and Rashbehari. Hoardings currently exist within 50 m at most of these intersections. Installation and display of hoardings have been prohibited within 25 m of buildings of archaeological, architectural, aesthetic, historical, or heritage importance. No advertisement will be allowed within 15 m of statues, minarets, or pillars of heritage importance. In places of religious significance, hoardings will not be allowed within 10 m. "No signboard or advertising hoardings shall obstruct natural light or ventilation of buildings," the notification read. Hoardings will be allowed from seven days prior to Mahalaya and up to seven days after Bijoya Dashami. For Kali Puja, hoardings will be allowed three days prior to the festival and till three days after the festival. No bamboo scaffoldings will be allowed at median verges and road dividers. The height of bamboo scaffolding/structure installed to mount advertisements will have to be restricted to 22 ft. "No such advertisement shall obstruct the visibility of existing street hoardings, bus shelters, LED monopoles, and other advertisements permitted by KMC," the notice said, adding, name of the puja committee concerned needs to be mentioned in a conspicuous manner.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Stars and devotees come together for grand Ratha Yatra in Rajpur Sonarpur
Sukalyann D Entourage Inc enhanced the Shri Jagannath Ratha Yatra in Rajpur Sonarpur for the second year, with Ssukalyan choreographing the roadshow after returning from America. The carnival featured over 60 dancers, crew, and actors like Swastika Mukherjee. The live presence of Shri Jagannath, Subhadra, and Balaram was the highlight, captivating attendees. Sukalyann D Entourage Inc once again added sparkle to the Shri Jagannath Ratha Yatra , in Rajpur Sonarpur. For the second consecutive year, the grand roadshow was choreographed by Ssukalyan himself, fresh off his return from America. The vibrant carnival saw participation from over 60 dancers and crew members, alongside actors Swastika Mukherjee , Debparna, and Shrabanti. This year's showstopper was the live presence of Shri Jagannath, Subhadra, and Balaram, drawing major attention from attendees. Currently back in Kolkata, Ssukalyan is juggling multiple Durga Puja commercials and Mahalaya preparations, but remains deeply moved by the spiritual energy and blessings received during the Ratha Yatra celebrations.
Indian Express
07-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Artist Jayasri Burman on how her love for the the Ganga flows through her canvas
By Jayasri Burman I was still a child when the river Ganga became an indelible part of how I perceived the world. Growing up in Kolkata, visiting the ghats of the river with my family for Mahalaya was an annual ritual. We would offer prayers for our departed ancestors and my father would bathe in the river. Though I participated in the rituals with sincerity, what truly captivated me was the array of activities on the banks. Any ghat we visited across Kolkata — whether Bagbazar, Nimtala or Dakshineswar — it was like a theatre stage, with so many scenes unfolding. If at one end people would be performing aarti, at another they would be mixing black rice and banana to be offered to the river for their ancestors. There would be mourning widows casting their precious shakha-pola bangles into the holy river and another side had people oiling themselves, performing surya pranam exercises. I think it was my admiration for the Ganga that led to the presence of water as an element in my art. Even as a six-seven year old, I would often have a river in my drawings, flowing from the mountains. I still have some of those drawings. Later, of course, the thought-process became more layered, enriched with mythological references merged with my own fantastical imaginations. The river transformed into a mother figure for me. I found it mystical and mysterious how one river could hold such ability to empower and evoke such enduring faith. In many ways, I am still looking for answers. Tracing its course — spanning over 2,500 km from the Himalayas to central India and Bangladesh — you realise how it has been a source of fertility and joy across the region. Even in mythology, she marries King Shantanu and goes on to drown her eight sons for their moksha. This represents the selfless spirit of motherhood, her willingness to suppress her emotional attachment to her children. Over the years, I developed a primordial relationship with the river. I made a conscious effort to pay my obeisance at different ghats, planning trips to places such as Haridwar, Rishikesh, Varanasi and across West Bengal. At every place devotion to her brings people together, yet what we encounter as pilgrims differs. If in Rishikesh the serene waters invite quiet contemplation, in Varanasi the burning ghats flicker with fire at night. There are sadhus with faces smeared with bhasma, vendors selling bead necklaces. Draped in saris with no adornment except the streak of sindoor on their heads, women selling shiv lingams appear to be manifestation of Durga herself. As my admiration for the Ganga deepened, I found myself immersed in the rich mythology, literature and history that detail it. In 2021, when during Covid we saw dead bodies floating in the Ganga, my desire to paint its determination and resilience grew manifold. Though a passage for the dead, the river remained pristine. I began to explore the countless stories that its waters carry, imbibing them into my own imagined landscapes, using creative liberties that I have as an artist. If as Nandini, in my depiction she is seated graciously on a Kamadhenu-like cow in conversation with ducks and hybrid humans, as Adhishree she takes the form of a mermaid in a lotus pond. Kumudini portrays her under a floral umbrella, and as Panchaya Kanya she sits on an elephant, calmly controlling the flow of water with her hands. A series of drawings dedicated to Haridwar have abstract lines come together to create figurative forms and weave narratives of life around it. In the 22-foot bronze sculpture, Jahnavi I — where we see mother Ganga with a lotus headgear, standing on a crocodile and holding a baby girl who morphs into a bird — the river becomes the universe itself, urging people to safeguard the Earth, represented by the child who embodies our shared future. We'll face the consequences of our actions in the years to come. The sculpture's features and form were also inspired by my time learning traditional sculpting techniques from potters at Kumartuli, located near the Hooghly River (a distributary of the Ganga). The lessons I gained there, much like the wisdom imparted by the Ganga, are lifelong. As a river of unwavering faith, the Ganga inspires me with her unbounding resilience. As told to Vandana Kalra
