Kolkata, Oct. 12 -- Durga Puja fever has officially gripped the city of joy. With CM Suvendu Adhikari inaugurating several pujas, Kolkata is all set to immerse itself in a celebration of togetherness. While Central Kolkata is drawing crowds, Salt Lake, too, is emerging as a major destination for some of the city's sprawling and imaginative Durga Puja pandals.

AE Block (Part 2) Samaj Kalyan Sangha is celebrating its golden jubilee year with the theme 'Alo', an immersive 360-degree art installation conceived as a glowing forest. Salt Lake EC Block Residents' Association is also celebrating its golden jubilee with 'Akkhayani', a theme inspired by the epic Mahabharata. Pandal artist Samrat Bhattacharya, has brought episodes and narratives from the epic to life.

The BC Block Residents' Association is marking its golden jubilee year with 'Jiyon Kathi', a theme that calls for a renewed connection with nature. Designed by Bimal Samanta, with lighting by Dinesh Poddar and an idol by Nabakumar Pal, the pandal carries a message against deforestation and urges visitors to protect the natural world. Wood, bamboo and mud have been used to construct the structure.

The AK Block Association's theme titled 'Amar santan jeno thake dudhe bhate' (May my child live in milk and rice), the concept draws from the story of Ishwari Patni, a boatwoman who expresses this wish when goddess Annapurna asks her to make a wish in Annada Mangal Kavya, a Bengali narrative poem written by Bharatchandra Ray in 1752-53. The pandal is celebrating the enduring expression of a mother's hopes for her children - not necessarily for great wealth, but for a life of comfort, security and prosperity.

At Salt Lake's BJ Block, the Puja committee is bringing Gujarat's iconic Somnath Temple to the city through its pandal. Sustainable architectural elements are being used to recreate the temple.

Meanwhile, Salt Lake FD Block's Durga Puja pandal is taking visitors into the vibrant world of Gond art, the popular art form of Central India.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.