Pujo images

Top to bottom:
1. The Yuba Brinda Puja at Chiria More, Barrackpore
2. The Nityananda Byayamagar Puja, Barrackpore
3. The 'Hara Hal' Puja in Anandapuri, Barrackpore
4. An apartment Puja in 'Ganja Gali' (Shahid Mangal Panday Sarani), Barrackpore
5. A Puja near Telengabagan, North Kolkata
6. The idol in the Kashi Bose Lane Puja (My favourite idol in general)
7. The Kashi Bose Lane puja pandal with glasswork all over

'Dujone' in US- a KC exclusive

Above is a picture of the US tour of the team of 'Dujone'- the first-ever Bengali movie to have commercially released in US this Puja, thanks to networking efforts during last NABC by noted distributor-exhibitor Arijit Dutta, who's also played a dreaded assassin in it. The oven-fresh picture is a Kolkata Curry exclusive- a 'Bijoya' gift for the visitors.

Dev, the hero, is seen first from left; Srabanti, the heroine, is third from left; Rajib Biswas, the director, is third from right and Arijit Dutta is first from right.

Pujo 2009

Countdown meter on top of TV screen on Bengali channels.

Shows on puja-based themes (like around goddess Durga and her sons and daughters).

The economic downturn effect...budgets of star Pujas (including those abroad) cut down...lack of sponsors.

Mad rush for shopping...no discounts on bigger brands.

Articles on this year's themes of pandals and idols. New trend: greenery themes (with painstakingly grown real green over months).

Untimely rains.....but no holding back shoppers.

Mahalaya....various actresses playing Durga on various channels..including Sandipta (on Star Jalsha) who plays a housewife named Durga in a soap on the same channel.

Outdoor advertising bounces back....hoardings at prime locations all booked.

Makeshift hoardings set up by Puja commitees dotting the roads.

Eco-friendly LED lights the new trend in many Pujas...as well as solar lights.

Finally...Maha Shasthi- the 'Bodhan' day...It's difficult to concentrate on work any more...rush of pandal-hoppers sends traffic movement haywire..with the stretch from Gariahat to Ruby Hospital taking one-and-a-half hour insted of 20 minutes (The same stretch has the superstar puja Bosepukur Shitala Mandir).

Puja awards anouncement starts.

Puja is on.....enjoy!

(Photo sourced from: www.anandautsav.com)

'Greener' roads

Nobody knew when it would be a reality but prayed for a life relieved of it. But law took its own course and achieved the impossible. The Kolkata roads are finally free of ' kata tel'-run auto rickshaws labelled the worst pollutant among all vehicles thanks to the Supreme Court-ruled phaseout of all 15-year old or older vehicles, and LPG having been made the only 'fuel' for auto rickshaws. The state govt. decided not to fight it with the legal system once again and it was the death nail for the venomous three-wheelers starting August.

The roads are a lot greener, with an increasing no. of green-coloured LPG autos taking the roads every day. And most importantly (the reason behind this post)the air is far more breathable and lighter. It's breathable enough for my kid daughter, and finally I can live without the guilt of bringing her up in toxic air on the roads because of alarming level of automobile pollution in the city, a situation made worst by the 'kata tel-run auto rickshaws ('kata tel' is a sphurious mix of petrol, kerosene and other elements causing poisonous fume).

The people are reportedly ready to take the pain of jostling in much fewer public vehicles simply because they can breathe much better. And as one of them I too welcome the outcome, though it has made my journey to work costlier on some days when due to shortage of buses that I can get into I have to change the route to reach office in time.

Shob Choritro Kalponik starts well

Rituparno's long-in-the-cans controversy-marred Shob Choritro Kalponik produced by the biggest ever corporate in Bengali cinema- Reliance Big Pictures and released 28 August '09 has been received well by the audience in the first week. The distributor Piyali Films, the distribution arm of Priya Entertainments run by the well-known exhibitor-distributor Arijit Dutta has done an experimental release in a larger-than-average number of single-screen theatres besides the plexes and it looks like paid off.