Kalyanpur gears up for Durga Puja with creative pandals and community traditions

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As Durga Puja approaches, Kalyanpur is preparing to welcome the festival with theme based pandals, traditional rituals and community initiatives, with local clubs combining creative ideas with modest budgets.

While the celebrations bring children out in new clothes and draw devotees to neighbourhood pujas, organisers are also working within financial constraints. Among the principal attractions is the Durga Puja organised by the sixth battalion of the Tripura State Rifles (TSR), which draws visitors from different parts of the district.

Several local clubs have opted for distinctive themes this year, reflecting a mix of architectural designs, environmental awareness and community participation.

Ekotra Sangha, which is organising its 48th Durga Puja, is spending Rs 6 lakh for the celebrations. Artists are creating a golden-coloured pandal based on a conceptual design, while lighting arrangements are being undertaken by artists from Agartala and Teliamura. The idol is being brought from Moharchhara at a cost of Rs 75,000.

Club president Babul De said the committee planned to distribute clothes among underprivileged people. The club has 148 members, whose contributions are being collected first. Local MLA Pinaki Das Chowdhury is scheduled to inaugurate the puja. Cultural programmes featuring artists from across the district are also part of the celebrations.

Baghajatin Club is building a pandal modelled on the Kedarnath temple within a budget of Rs 3.5 lakh. Senior member Tapas Debroy said the club continued to undertake social activities throughout the year. It had also contributed Rs 10,000 towards the treatment of Monshree, who was suffering from a serious illness. The club's celebrations extend beyond the puja, with a community feast organised for local people after Dashami. Local artist Sudip Das is responsible for the pandal and lighting arrangements.

Young Blood, with a budget of Rs 2 lakh, is giving particular attention to lighting. Its pink-themed pandal is being constructed using wood and cloth by local artist Hriday Shil. Sushankar Debnath is the committee secretary and Nirendra Debbarma its president. The puja is scheduled to be inaugurated by the local MLA.

Netaji Club has chosen a theme centred on environmental protection and sustainable cultivation. Its pandal, designed around the concept of an alpana village, will highlight agriculture and horticulture and demonstrate how paddy, vegetables and fish can be cultivated together in a limited space. The idol is being brought from Totabari, while local artist Dilip Pal is constructing the pandal. The club will distribute annabhog and khichuri prasad on Navami.

Chetana Sangha is observing its 45th year of Durga Puja with a budget of around Rs 2 lakh. Club member Bapan Debnath said local artists were creating both the pandal and the idol. Ratia Shantipriya Sangha, meanwhile, is organising its puja with just Rs 70,000, placing emphasis on devotional rituals.

The TSR sixth battalion headquarters is preparing a pandal at a cost of Rs 10 lakh, modelled on the temple associated with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living in Bengaluru.

Beyond these organised attractions, community pujas at Kalyanpur Bazar Nat Mandap, Kalyanpur Bazar Colony Kalibari and Kalyanpur East Bazar Regional Sarbajanin remain part of the local celebrations.

Durga Puja is also observed in the hilly and predominantly tribal areas surrounding Kalyanpur, including Ekrai Bazar, Rajani Sardar Para, Murabari, North Ghilatali, Bara Maidan, West Kunjaban, Adhuniya Bazar, North Maharani and Khas Kalyanpur. Some of these pujas retain the tradition of animal sacrifice on Ashtami, reflecting the diversity of local religious practices.