Fighting dengue, another extraordinary theme of a Durga Puja committee
What's the story
Experimenting with something new every year in the sacred season of Navaratri, a North Kolkata Durga Puja committee has created a giant mosquito at the entrance of the pandal to create awareness about Dengue. "Fighting Dengue" is the theme of Baghbazar Palli Pujo O Prodorshoni's Durga Puja in Rajballabh Para area of Kolkata this year, the organizers of the pandal said. Here's more.
Details
The theme also involves demo of the preventive measures
The giant mosquito, made of thermocol, about 10 feet in size, has been mounted on a container which is partly filled with water and has been kept in the courtyard of the Puja pandal that resembles a British-era building. The pandal also focused on the preventive measures; worn-out tires and coconut shells have been placed at various places across the pandal.
Dengue
The Puja committee is educating people about dengue through posters
"In our puja, the Goddess is slaying the demon of Masa-asur (the mosquito demon)," said a spokesman of Baghbazar Palli Pujo O Prodorshoni Puja committee. The Puja committee has also put up posters and color charts to educate people how a dengue larva is born in accumulated fresh water and ways to cure the disease once someone is infected with dengue, the spokesperson said.
Spreading awareness
Weapons such as broom, bat, mosquito repellents in Durga's hand
The committee spokesperson said, "We have decided to spread awareness about dengue and hence made mosquito, which is the carrier of the dengue virus, as the real demon." He said that instead of traditional weapons, they used weapons to fight mosquitoes. He added, "We have placed a broom, a bat and mosquito repellents (spray) as weapons in the ten hands of the goddess 'Durga'."
The idea
Durga Puja pandal, ideal medium to create awareness about dengue
Artisan Mintu Pal, who conceived and executed the entire theme, said, "A Durga Puja pandal, which is visited by lakhs of people, can be an ideal medium to create awareness about dengue." Mayor-in-Council Atin Ghosh said, "The Puja committee organizers have done a commendable job by spreading awareness about Dengue. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation will always support such initiatives."