The Young Boys Club in central Kolkata is preparing a Durga Puja pandal based on the theme of ‘Ram Rajya’, using natural materials to communicate ideas of peace, justice, respect, harmony and an ideal society. The 57th-year installation is being built on Tara Chand Dutta Street, which connects Central Avenue with Rabindra Sarani.
According to the organisers, the pandal will present a social order in which justice prevails over injustice, respect over humiliation and moral responsibility over oppression. The theme also places emphasis on harmony with nature, linking the festival installation’s visual design with its stated social message.
The pandal has been designed by artist Debshankar Mahesh and is being constructed by artisans from East Midnapore. The materials include dried leaves, fruits, flowers, seeds and natural fibres. These everyday materials are being transformed into decorative elements through detailed craftsmanship, giving the structure a natural appearance while reducing reliance on conventional decorative inputs, according to the source report.
The Durga idol has been created by Midnapore-based sculptor Kushadhwaj Bera. The installation will combine traditional craft with modern lighting as the organisers prepare to receive visitors from Kolkata, other districts and states.
Young Boys Club chief organiser Rakesh Singh said the committee has consistently treated Durga Puja as an opportunity to combine devotion, creativity and a meaningful social message. He said the organisers wanted visitors to experience the visual appeal of the pandal while also engaging with the values represented by the theme.
Youth president Vikrant Singh said the theme was based on justice, responsibility, harmony and compassion. He described the presentation as an attempt to convey positivity and unity, which he identified as central to the festival. Co-organiser Vinod Singh said the committee’s annual focus was not only on creating a large pandal but also on using storytelling to communicate a message connected to society.
The installation reflects the growing role of Kolkata’s Durga Puja pandals as temporary public spaces where architecture, craft, lighting and social messaging come together. In this case, the use of leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits and fibres makes material choice part of the theme rather than merely a decorative decision. The source report does not provide details on the total quantity of materials used, the pandal’s budget or whether the materials will be reused or composted after the festival.
The Young Boys Club pandal is scheduled to open to visitors on Mahapanchami, before the main पूजा celebrations. The organisers have also planned large-scale distribution of prasad during the festival days and said the arrangements would remain open and accessible to visitors. Further details on visitor management, timings and crowd-control measures were not provided in the source report.
