Attarsuiya Barwari, one of the oldest pujas in Allahabad, is giving traditional ideas a miss. The puja organisers, instead are paying homage to the Armymen martyred in Pulwama attack with its Durga Puja pandal this year.
The pandal, which has chosen nationalism as its theme, would feature idols draped in clothes that have the tricolour hues instead of traditional decked-up attires, The Times of India reported.
Ashish Banerjee, one of the associates of the community puja, said that they will be paying homage to martyrs of the Pulwama attack in their pandal and artist Ankur Verma has been working on the idols which would be wearing clothes in the colours of the national flag, the report said.
Considered to be one of the oldest community pujas in Allahabad, Attarsuiya Barwari was established in 1882 by a group of 25 Bengali families who had migrated to the city. Over the years the numbers swelled as more Bengalis joined the barwari, but according to the report, by the 70s it had started declining.
According to Banerjee, though the puja might have seen a dip in the number of Bengali members there has been a rise in the number of non-Bengali patrons.
Banerjee revealed that currently the puja organisation has only 15 Bengali families as its members. Many of its members are traders from Chowk and nearby areas while some of them are even from the Muslim community.
Puja organisers also revealed that they would be using eco-friendly materials for the decoration, with artist Ankur Verma revealing that the jewellery for the idols is being made from clay, which will be painted golden.
Verma and his team is making use of sustainable options like ice-cream sticks, paper cups and leaf plates for decoration, through which, the organisers claim, they will attempt to make public aware of the importance of environmental conservation.
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