Traditional, yet hatke that's the in-thing

JAIPUR: Be it the ornate designs of the pandal, the craftsmanship in idol-making or the pulsating rhythms of the dhaki, Jaipurites have more than one reason to throng the puja pandals during the Durga Puja.
The Agrani Club at Raja Park has got its idol from Delhi's Chittaranjan Park, known for hosting some of the most popular pujas in the Capital. The pandal has been designed in the old palatial style."This time, we have done up the pandal in the old rajabari' style. The emphasis is on showing the Bengali culture in its entirety," says Manik Das Adhikari, secretary, Agrani Club, which is celebrating its 19th year.
So much so that all the paraphernalia for the Durga Puja has been specially brought from Kolkata. "The 108 lotuses for Sandhi Puja on Ashtami are brought from Kolkata," adds Adhikari.
The cultural programmes in the evening too will showcase a piece of Bengal. For Navami, the organisers have called an all-female group of folk singers from Kolkata.
While tradition has been the order of Durga Puja festivities, Jaipur's Jai Club has combined it with modern eco-friendly ways.
The 10-feet idol of Goddess Durga has been painted with natural colours, instead of synthetic ones that contain lead and cause water pollution.
"Our protima (idol) is lead-free. Our effort is to become more environment-friendly with every passing year," said Dr S K Sarkar, president, Pravasi Bengali Cultural Society that has been organising the puja at the club for the past 15 years.
The idol is not only eco-friendly but also weighs less than previous years. "It becomes very difficult for us to carry the heavy idols during the immersion. Therefore, we wanted to reduce the weight of the idol," said Sarkar. This year, the idol weighs at least 50 kg less than past year.
The organisers have also made the pandal area a no-smoking zone. Nearly 30 volunteers will be in the pandal to keep a watch to prevent people from smoking inside the premises.
On the cultural front too, the club promises a hatke' experience. In addition to traditional Bengali song and dance, a dance drama with extensive use of light and sound effects by a group from Benaras features in the itinerary.