Pandal hopping on the last day of Durga Puja (2nd part)!
Many may wonder why I am composing the second part of my discussion on pandal hopping in English rather than my native language, Bengali. This choice is not due to my own preference; Rather, it stems from the limitations of translation technology. Allow me to clarify my reasoning.
This morning, I utilised a translator to review my content and was taken aback by the results. In Bengali, we refer to an older brother
as "Dada." Yesterday, while engaging in pandal hopping with my older cousin and my nephew, I found that the translator rendered "Dada" as "grandfather" and mistakenly translated my nephew as my "son." Such inaccuracies highlight the potential for confusion when relying solely on machine translation.
Many individuals might be misled
by these erroneous translations!
This experience serves as a reminder that we must approach machine translations with caution, as they often lack the precision required for clear communication. Consequently, I have decided to continue documenting my pandal hopping experiences in English to ensure accuracy and clarity. I would not wish to misrepresent my late grandfather, who passed away many years ago.
Well! Yesterday I shared two pandal;
One was in my locality, and the other was "Dum Dum Park Tarun Shangha Club!"
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which has completed 100 years this year 2025!
The name of the club is "Taala protyoy!"
On the final day of our visit, we chose to explore the pandal during daylight hours. This decision limited our ability to view the installations in a less crowded environment.
(The theme presented by the club focused on agriculture;
Seed is the source of life, and the first link in the food chain- Vandana Shiva)
And I typically prefer to create brief videos. This approach not only provides a live experience but also facilitates the capture of still images through screenshots.
Given our plan to explore more than ten locations, we were unable to dedicate an extensive amount of time to each pandal, as the destinations were situated at considerable distances from one another.
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| Thirsty crow.☝️ |  |
Sikdar Bagan, It was 10:54 am when we reached this place.
Following that, we proceeded to "Sikdar Bagan" at approximately 11:28 a.m., where we encountered the classic childhood tale of the clever, thirsty crow.
Within the pandal, we discovered remarkable lines from esteemed Bengali poets, which are inscribed in Bengali. Below is an interpretation of their underlying messages in English:
- The theme was based on Leela Majumdar:-👇
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The poets articulate the notion that human blood disrupts tranquility, while black smoke obscures the sky.
The paths through the forest have been severed, and the light of civilization has been established; nevertheless, amidst this illumination, darkness remains entrenched in the minds of individuals.
Those who can read Bengali are able to pause the video and read those lines!
However, after that we reach another pandal and their theme was based on Leela Majumdar (Indian writer and her novel Podipisir Bormibaksho was too famous), who is the Aunt of the great writer, director and the Oscar-winning film-maker Satyajit Ray!
I found some childhood stories along with a crossword. I love to recall them once again! She was famous among children because most of her creations were dedicated to them!
ব্যাঙের মাসি বেজায় খুশি
আজ নাকি তার বিয়ে ?
বর আসছে গাড়ি চড়ে
ছাতা মাথায় দিয়ে ।
-Leela Majumdar.
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At approximately 12:14 PM, we transitioned from the old era to the modern era and discovered that the theme of the pandal was focused on artificial intelligence.
The accompanying pictures and videos illustrate this theme. Unfortunately, we were unable to fully experience the lighting effects, which limited our appreciation of the thematic creation.
Nevertheless, it is evident that the club intended to pose a significant question to humanity: Is artificial intelligence a blessing or a curse?
In conclusion, I will wrap up this series on the pandal, with the anticipation that it will continue in the future.
I encourage everyone to remain engaged by viewing the videos and examining the accompanying content and photographs, which highlight the fervour with which the people of Kolkata celebrate this festival.
