Getting bigger and better with every passing year, one of the prime attractions of Durga Puja - Satya Amar Lok puja pandal is again ready to enchant the devotees with its exceptional presentation. Known for its unique concept and elegant decoration, pandal hoppers, this season will get to witness the essence of Buddhist architecture. Being primed at a whopping cost of Rs 15 lakh, nearly 70 artists of West Bengal are busy giving shape to this prime pandal, located in the heart of the Capital City.
Over 500 boards of plywood are being used in designing the replica of the Buddhist Temple --- inspired from the rich culture of Bhutan and Tibet. Interestingly, the puja pandal carved out aesthetically every year has a unique element of surprise with the blend of customary touch to fascinate the devotees. In a unique attempt, as many as 500 Ganglion tribe paintings will be adorned inside the puja pandal, being prepared by the local artists.
Standing tall, a replica of a big dragon (15 feet) will greet the devotees at the puja pandal. The large figurine of Gautam Buddha (12 feet) which will be decked up near the main gate has been crafted out well with exemplary use of colour combinations that reflects elegancy and gives a radiant look to the entire concept creating a similar ambiance as that of a monastery.
According to the members of Satya Amar Lok Puja Samiti not just the exterior decoration but keeping in mind the ancient features of Buddhist art and architecture that gives a picturesque of a monastery, the artisans have been advised to decorate the interior as per the monastery design.
An artist, Nirmal Bose, who was busy giving shape to the puja pandal said, “Special focus is on designing Pagodas – a prime feature of a Buddhist Monastery. Taking clue from the exterior design, the artists are designing the interior portion of pandal with small statuettes to give vibrant look to this entire concept. In addition, decoration part will be enhanced more through the use of miniature illuminations.” Meanwhile, the Spokesperson of Satya Amar Lok Puja Samiti Subhash Agarwal stated that the idea behind selecting Buddhist art theme is to make the people familiar about the culture and customs of other religious conviction while presenting something exclusive which has both artistic and spiritual value.