Glittering finale crowns Ashtami joy for Shera Pujo winners

KOLKATA: The Lake District Residents' Welfare Association has been participating in The Times of India's Pujo Barir Shera Pujo' contest for the last four years and have been receiving judges' awards. Naturally, there was no limit to the joy that residents felt when they heard that they had come out tops in Category-I in this year's awards, presented by UCO Bank, with Accord Advertising as its outdoor partner.
"We have been organising the puja for the last five years. Everybody was wondering when we would bag the first prize. We are extremely happy and overwhelmed with joy," said actor Arindam Sil, a resident.
As the celebrity judges went across the housing complexes, each and every abason (residential complex) was brimming with excitement. Percussionist Bickram Ghosh, along with wife Jaya Seal Ghosh, offered pushpanjali at ODRC Abasan's 40-year-old puja near Behala's Ajanta Cinema. Next was a stop at Prachi Apartments on Ho Chi Minh Sarani. They went on to spend ample time mingling with residents of Merlin Grove in Behala. "The puja at Merlin Grove is well organised and has a holistic approach to the celebrations," said Bickram.
Durga Puja fever reached a crescendo when TOI, along with film director Ashoke Vishwanathan, went to judge the shortlisted apartment pujas around Gariahat and Southern Avenue on Ashtami.
The "madly Bangali" participants of the puja at Ellora Apartments were dancing their legs off to the rhythm of the dhaak when the TOI car rolled in. "More than the grandeur of the puja, it's the enthusiasm of these people that is palpable," Vishwanathan said.
The 30-year-old Megh Mallar puja has gone electronic. "We have created our puja website, on which we upload pictures and events that are happening here every day so that residents of our apartment can keep in touch with what's going on here," a resident said.
Gariahat Government Housing Estate, which is conducting dhaak workshops' during the puja days, chose Aila as their theme. They surrounded their pandal with barks of trees that actually got uprooted in the storm. The puja committee members also made the celebrity judge plant a sapling in the compound. "These people are so warm and I love their passion," Vishwanathan said.
Residents of Sudakshina Estate kept demanding more photo sessions with actor Bhaswar Chatterjee, the celebrity judge. Residents of Millennium Apartments were ecstatic after learning that they came out second in Category-II. "Everybody is very happy. They had actively engaged themselves to organise the puja," said A K Nayak.
Residents of Ekta Heights requested the actor to come back to their complex and spare more time for them in the evening. Later, these residents were ecstatic after learning that they came second in Category-I. "It's a great feeling. Everyone is very excited," said Kallol Sarkar.
Residents of Ramalaya Gita Bhavan leapt with joy after learning that they had come out first in Category-II. "We thank TOI. Nothing could be more joyous," said T K Roy Chowdhury. The housing complex had came out second in 2006, too.
Painter Shuvaprasanna being a known face, organisers in Salt Lake were extremely happy to see him among them. Some residents at Digantika complex even requested him to offer anjali with them. But he preferred to bow to the goddess than join in Anjali. The residents even tried to impress him by showing cartoon figures drawn to decorate the pandal.
Even at Anushakti, there was an old student who was taught drawing by the artist; soon, many youngsters sought his blessings by touching his feet. The Anushakti organisers made an odd request to be their inaugurator for their next year's puja and wanted an affirmative answer.
For TV and film actor Bhaswar Chatterjee, playing the judge turned out to be tougher than facing the camera. For one, he had to oblige residents of the apartments he visited who just could not have enough of him. And then, it turned out to be a tough task to judge as all the pujas in the six apartments he visited were equally good. The actor, however, thoroughly enjoyed his morning out.
But it was at Nilachal Complex Phase II that the actor was virtually mobbed. He finally had to oblige residents when they asked him to join them. "I generally do not dance, but I could not disappoint them. Puja is one festival in a year when I manage to hang out with relatives and friends," said Chatterjee.
At Hasting Tower, Sekhar Roy, who was the guest, participated in anjali. The uniqueness of this complex of 40 households is that its women residents wear sarees in the Bengali style on all four days of the puja, including the traditional red and white saree for sindur khela on Dashami. All residents gather for lunches and dinners on these four days.
The uniqueness of Eastern Park Society was that it comprises 25 individual households which are spread over three lanes. Residents of these houses become one large happy family during the puja days. Over the years, families here have contributed by donating jewellery to the goddess. The families gave Roy a very warm welcome, even putting a tilak on his forehead.
At Indian Oil Housing Complex, that has a total of 37 families, the celebrity judge was welcomed with a tilak and a rose. The families over here made a beautiful display of handicrafts and paintings made by members of the complex. Roy participated in the "dhunuchi naach" in which the women, too, joined in. It seemed like one large happy family.
At Sonamoni Co-operative, the most striking feature of the puja was that Jayashri Chatterjee, secretary of the puja committee, played the dhak just like a professional dhaki, with other women joining in to play the "kansor ghonta". The celebrity judge also joined in playing the dhak.
At The Tolly Residency, enthusiasm reached its crescendo with Shaheb Chatterjee reaching the residential complex to judge their puja. The excitement was palpable as every member involved with the puja tried to show intricate paintings and murals created by them to decorate the pandal. The actor not only danced to the dhak but also obliged residents by singing snatches of Rabindrasangeet.
Residents of Oriole's Nest decorated their pandal with recycled materials. From recycled posters to paper napkins. It impressed the celebrity judge. Even the effort by a single member in decorating the pandal in Pushpita Apartments was hugely appreciated by Shaheb. "This is extremely creative work," he said.