Jamdani to Uttam Kumar: NCR’s Durga Puja pandals explore diverse themes | Delhi News

From Victoria Memorial and a jamdani loom to rural Bengal and Uttam Kumar’s centenary, Durga Puja pandals across NCR are drawing from the many strands of Bengal’s cultural heritage this year. For Durga Puja, beginning on October 16, committees are incorporating heritage, art, cinema, sustainability, community and memory in their pandals that take months – and hundreds of hands – to create. Behind each theme is a long process: an idea is developed, designs are worked out, bamboo scaffolding is built, the murti is shaped and the pandal gradually takes form through layers of craft, colour, light and decoration. Here’s a look at the themes taking shape across NCR.Sustainability in focus | Milani Cultural Society, Mayur Vihar-IMilani Cultural Society is turning its pandal into a visual exploration of environmental conservation. Around the idol, a 3D forest populated with animals and birds, including tigers, peacocks, lions and elephants, will represent the natural world that conservation seeks to protect. “With sustainability becoming an increasingly important conversation, we wanted to show how plastic waste can be recycled and decomposed, along with the importance of greenery and protecting our natural environment,” says Mrinal Biswas, President of the organisation.

Marking 150 years of Vande Mataram | Durgotsab, GK 2For Durgotsab GK 2, the theme is being interpreted not through a literal depiction of the song or portraits of freedom fighters, but through art and installations exploring what the committee describes as the “spirit of India”. Samrat Banerjee, who organises the puja, says, “The idea is that Vande Mataram is as alive today as it was 50 years back or a hundred years back. The two words, Vande Mataram, themselves are strong enough to define our entire existence. We see Vande Mataram as the spirit of India being celebrated in so many ways — through music, art, community coming together, food and textiles. This is something we want everyone who walks in to collectively feel — the energy that we are trying to create. We believe in Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu, which means she is for everyone.” Spanish artist Javier Artacho, inspired by his experience of Puja last year, is expressing his understanding of the festival through his art in the pandal, interweaving its sacred rituals with elements of Vande Mataram.

The power of print in the digital age | Arambagh Puja SamityAt Paharganj’s Arambagh, the theme looks at a medium that has survived the digital revolution – print. The pandal will explore the continuing relevance of newspapers, books, magazines and other printed material at a time when screens dominate everyday life. “In an era dominated by digital screens and endless scrolling, one medium continues to inspire confidence, preserve history and connect generations – print. Despite the rise of digital platforms, print hasn’t lost its relevance. It offers something that technology alone cannot – a physical experience,” says Abhijit K Bose, Chairman.

Uttam Kumar centenary | Durgabari, GK 1At Durgabari, the centenary of Bengali cinema icon Uttam Kumar becomes the inspiration for this year’s puja. The pandal decor will pay tribute to the actor and the era of Bengali cinema he came to represent, while the cultural programme will bring performers from Bengal and Delhi to the celebrations. “This year’s theme commemorates 100 years of Uttam Kumar and brings his legacy into the pandal. We wanted the decor to reflect the nostalgia and cultural memory associated with the Mahanayak,” shares Ena Pathak, General Secretary of Durgabari Society.

Timeless grandeur of Victoria Memorial | Balaka Durgotsav, Sec 61, NoidaBalaka is recreating one of Kolkata’s most recognisable landmarks — the Victoria Memorial — as a 63-foot-high, 65-foot-wide pandal. Made with bamboo, cloth and sculpted foam sheets, the structure is being built over an existing building. The puja will also feature the last completed Durga idol by late sculptor Salil Bhattacharya, making the celebration a tribute to his legacy. “Every Balaka theme begins with a question: how do we create something the community has never experienced before? This year, we answer that through the timeless grandeur of Victoria Memorial,” says Sandeep Bhattacharya, Secretary, Balaka Bengali Cultural Association.Alpona core | Purbapalli Durgabari Samiti, Sector 15, GurgaonPurbapalli is taking alpona beyond its familiar role as floor decoration and using its motifs, patterns and visual language across the pandal. The committee’s traditional ekchala idol will retain its Bengali character, with the face created in the Dobhashi style. Rajarshri Sengupta, Secretary of the samiti, says, “The alpona theme also explores alpona’s use of natural materials and its links with ritual, ecology and the transient nature of life.”An eco-friendly puja | Anandodhara Cultural Association, SohnaSohna’s Durga Puja, which began as the area’s first such celebration, returns with an eco-friendly pandal this year. “The idea has been to create a puja that brings the local community together. The pandal will follow an eco-friendly theme, while the cultural programme will bring performers from Kolkata as well as Delhi-Gurgaon,” shares Bitheeka Rao, General Secretary of the association.

Maati, Manush and Mohon |Mela Ground, CR ParkFor its 51st edition, Mela Ground’s theme looks at the relationship between earth, people and culture. “This year, our theme is Maati, Manush, Mohon – The Eternal Bond. From the making of Maa Durga’s murti with pure clay and the hands of our artisans to Dhaka-style decorations inspired by the grand pandals of pre-Partition Bengal, the theme brings together heritage and the present,” says Narayan Dey, organising secretary, Mela Ground Durga Puja Samiti.Jorasanko Thakurbari in CR Park |B Block, CR ParkDurga Puja’s theme is Bhabnaye Rabindranath Tagore. Ashim Banerjee, the spokesperson of the committee, shares that every activity leading up to puja has been aligned with the central theme. He adds, “Our endeavour is not merely to recreate the grandeur of Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home, but to bring Raviguru alive in every respect – through his music, his literature, his art, his philosophy and his immense contribution to society. The pandal itself will take inspiration from Jorasanko Thakurbari.”Jamdani sari to take centre stage | Navapalli Puja Samity, CR ParkPocket 40’s puja pandal turns the jamdani loom into an architectural language. The entrance is envisioned as the anchal of the sari, while the ceiling will evoke threads stretched across a loom. Enlarged buti and geometric motifs will be across the walls, with a central handloom installation showing how individual threads come together to create a sari. “The theme’s message is simple, ‘Every thread carries a story; every motif a memory’. A section depicting a jamdani weaver at work will introduce visitors to the painstaking handcraft behind the textile,” shares Samaresh Bhadra, President of the samiti.

Kulo-centred design | Dakkhinayan, GK-IIThe pandal will have the kulo, or winnowing basket, as a key design element. “We will bring inclusivity into the cultural programme, with children from a special school performing along with artistes from Kolkata and Delhi,” shares Shoma Mukherji, Treasurer of the committee.Jute & bamboo in focus | Co-operative Ground Durga Puja Samiti, CR ParkFor its 51st year, the Co-operative Ground Durga Puja Samity is looking to two traditional materials – jute (Golden Fibre) and bamboo (Green Gold) – to shape its pandal. The pandal will bring together their fibres and weaving-inspired patterns to create an architectural space that connects traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.

Gram Bangla in NCR |Bangiya Parishad, Sec 56, GurgaonBangiya Parishad is going to take visitors away from the millennium city and into an imagined Bengal village. The pandal will recreate elements of rural life, like the dhan-er gola, mud-plastered houses, paddy-straw roofs, and cattle. “Most of the next generation of BPG community has grown up in Gurgaon, a modern millennium city surrounded by technology, automation and IT. Through this year’s puja, we want to introduce them to a different world – the simplicity, warmth and cultural richness of rural Bengal,” says Malay Nandy, President of the parishad.A 35-year retrospective | DLF City Durga Puja & Bengali Cultural Society, GurgaonAs DCDP marks 35 years, its décor turns inward, using the committee’s own history as its theme. A photo wall of members and their families celebrating puja over the decades will form the centrepiece, alongside folk motifs such as lotuses, kulos, shola flowers, street alpona and string art. “Terracotta will dominate the visual palette, with a terracotta Durga idol tying the material and colour together. The décor is being created by members themselves and the décor, including a photo wall, is a heartfelt journey through the society’s traditions and memories,” says Kasturi, the convener of DCDP.

Inspired by ISKCON, Bengali Cultural Association, Sec 62, NoidaMarking its silver jubilee, the Bengali Cultural Association is drawing inspiration from ISKCON Mayapur for celebrations. The theme brings a Bengal-linked spiritual and architectural reference into Noida’s puja landscape.Exploring the circle of life | Sarbojonin Puja Samiti, Sec 137, NoidaSector 137’s theme, Jeevan Chakra, explores the eternal cycle of birth, growth, and renewal, with Maa Durga at the centre of that journey. The celebrations will also feature a street alpona, made by the community.

Swachhata Param Dharma | Dwarka Expressway Sarbojonin Puja Samiti, Sector 102, Gurgaon Dwarka Expressway Sarbojonin Puja Samiti’s pandal this year carries the theme Swachhata Param Dharma (cleanliness is the highest duty), using sustainable materials and reusable decorations to highlight the connection between devotion and environmental responsibility. Designed to give the materials a life beyond the five days of Puja, the installation also reflects the committee’s commitment to reducing waste, with single-use plastic being avoided during the celebrations.150 Years of Vande Mataram | Sushant Lok Durga Puja Committee, Sector 27, Gurgaon For its 27th Durgotsav, Sushant Lok Durga Puja Committee is marking 150 years of Vande Mataram with a pandal featuring a gallery-style display tracing the song’s history. The installation will explore its evolution as an expression of love for the motherland, bringing together themes of unity, courage, cultural pride and collective identity.“As a prabashi, we should not only build the community, but also enrich it with the right traditions. Ours is Ghorer Pujo, Shobaar Pujo, Shera Pujo — as safe and simple as your home, inclusive of everyone, while bringing our best to all that we create,” said Alok Roy, President, Sushant Lok Durga Puja CommitteeThe beauty of lotus | Sharodiya Puja Samity, Sector 10A, GurgaonGurgaon Sector 10A’s Durga Puja pandal will celebrate its silver jubilee with a lotus-themed pandal symbolising purity, devotion and togetherness. It shall be a replica of the Lotus Temple