Young eyes scan city's finest pujas

Calcutta: Abrita Ghosh of Class XII, Ahaan Chowdhury of VII and Biswajyoti Banerjee of Class XI have one thing in common. All three are avid pandal hoppers who search for creative stories.

The excited trio are already having sleepless nights at the thought of judging some of Calcutta's famous pujas as part of TTIS Choto Chokhe Boro Pujo (CCBP) co-powered by JIS Group and admissiontree.in.

Around 50 young judges (mainly schoolchildren) will be wearing the judge's mantle this year today and tomorrow, checking out the pandals, idols and ambience of around 50 pujas. After cross-examining the organisers and sharing notes with their comrades, awards will be given out in various categories, including Best Theme (Kalpana), Best Idol (Pratima), Best Pandal (Deviprangan), We Care (Karuna) and Puja Cleanliness
(Swachh Pujo).

There is also a new addition this year — Scroll Stopper or the People's Choice Digital Award. The judging will be done on Day I.

A celebrity will join the students the next day to give away the awards to the winners. The children will be divided into 10 routes for the judging.

"I hope I get a route in north Calcutta," said Abrita, a student of Gokhale Memorial Girls' School. Biswajyoti seconds that.

"As a resident of Nagerbazar, I check out most pujas in and around my area and even beyond every year. But being a judge is a serious responsibility. I will look out for pandals with a cause," said the student of G.D. Goenka Public School, Kolkata.

But stories on sustainability, out-of-the-box ideas and relatable issues are what attract these students even more. "I was so happy when my school selected me to judge pujas as part of the CCBP team. It will be a new experience for me. Of course, I will keep my eyes open for green pujas. A good theme matters, but so does sustainability," chipped in Ahaan of South City International School.

The event is also an opportunity for students to have fun, make new friends and share notes. "Usually I am quiet in front of people. But I bloom during this festive season. I am excited to meet students from other schools and hear about their views," said Kornika Dutta of Class X, Central Modern School, Baranagar.

Sponsors, too, think that children will bring in a fresh perspective to the event.

“Young judges bring a refreshing honesty to their choices. They tend to respond to what truly delights them — the creativity, the atmosphere and how welcome they feel — without being overly influenced by prestige or publicity. Honesty has no age, but children’s spontaneous reactions can remind us what makes a puja truly special. That is why we are proud to support Choto Chokhe Boro Pujo,” said Suborno Bose, founder-chairman and chief mentor of the International Institute of Hotel Management.

Ishandeb Chatterjee, director of sales and marketing of Hyatt Regency, Calcutta, said: "This initiative highlights the important aspect of our society where we acknowledge our children and their point of view. It is a genuine effort towards encouraging the young ones to think creatively. We are delighted to associate with this event."

"Choto Chokhe Boro Pujo seamlessly brings together the soulful emotion of Durga Puja and the innocent wonder of young minds. At JIS Group, supporting the next generation is central to our ethos. Where adult judgment carries complexity, a child’s perspective holds unblemished honesty," added its deputy director Bidyut Majumder.

For CCBP veteran Vivaan Roy the ambience is what matters the most. The Class IX student of St James' School loves the idea of starting his puja with a bang, along with his friends. "This is my third year as a young judge. I enjoy the energy of the two-day event. Young voices get a platform here and that is what makes me sign up for the event again and again," he said.