Kolkata: Baguiati Rail Pukur United Club is celebrating its 73rd year of Durga Puja with ‘Collage’, an artistic pandal that brings together art, mythology, history, society and collective memory. Conceptualised by artist Somnath Tamli, the pavilion has been created using thousands of kilos of recycled newspapers, transforming individual sheets, words, photographs and textures into an immersive installation.
The theme draws inspiration from the traditional narrative of Maa Durga’s creation through the collective divine energies and contributions of different deities. The installation interprets this coming together of individual elements as a metaphor for collective strength.
The pandal also pays tribute to influential figures including Rabindranath Tagore, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Satyajit Ray, Satyendra Nath Bose, Matangini Hazra, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Swami Vivekananda, representing the diverse cultural and intellectual heritage of Bengal and India. The recycled newspapers add a nostalgic dimension, recreating scenes of newspapers being transported and distributed on bicycles while reflecting on the transformation of news consumption in the digital era.
Snehasish Debnath, Secretary, Baguiati Rail Pukur United Club, said the theme brings together different fragments of society, culture, history and collective memory into one larger narrative, while the use of recycled newspapers pays tribute to a disappearing culture of reading and sharing news. Through ‘Collage’, the club combines art, mythology, heritage and contemporary thought to offer visitors an experience that goes beyond the traditional visual spectacle of a Durga Puja pandal.
