Several Durga Puja pandals and their art pieces, which will prove to be major crowd-pullers during Durga Puja this year, will be reused for subsequent Kali Puja and Jagadhhatri Puja, with selling prices in the range of Rs 70,000 to Rs 4 lakh.
Bookings will be taken at the pandal itself by organisers of the subsequent puja committees.
Apart from the pandal itself, jewellery used to decorate the idol is recycled.
The reason is the hike in the price of components. The orgaments are made of zari, which can be reused for years.
As many as 35 puja committees, out of some 1000-odd puja committees in Kolkata, who are responsible for raising funds and organizing pujas in their respective neighbourhoods, usually sell off their pandals and art pieces to other puja organizing committees or even individuals, for reuse for subsequent pujas. Selling prices have been in the range of Rs 70,000 to even Rs 4 lakh.
The rationale is while Durga Puja organizers get to recover a part of the puja expenses, the Kali Puja or Jagodhhatri Puja organizers get a good theme and ready material to conduct the puja at a nominal price.
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According to Sourav Sanyal, convener of Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee in south Kolkata, "Our budget for this year's puja is Rs 1 lakh, together with the decorations and art pieces. Last year, our budget was around Rs 60,000. We sold off the pandals and art pieces to a real estate developer in the neighbourhood who used the pandal and the decorations to conduct Kali Puja in the location. We usually pitch a 25 per cent higher price when selling them off."
Similarly, Pratichi Club located in south Kolkata sold off the stones and handicrafts that it used to decorate its Durga Puja pandal last year, to Shriniketan Housing Complex, which host its debut Jagadhhatri Puja last year.
According to Uma Bhowmick of Pratichi Club, the Shriniketan Housing Complex paid close to Rs 50,000 for the handicrafts and stones that it purchased from the club to decorate its puja pandal for the subsequent kali Puja. Pratichi Club had spent around Rs 35,000 to organise its Durga Puja last year.
"This year too, our budget is around Rs 50,000, and we are open to selling off the pandals and decorations to other puja committees for a 15 per cent higher price," Bhowmick said.
The Rashachakra pandal of Shib Mandir Puja Committee in south Kolkata was relocated to Barasat last year for Kali Puja. According to the organizers, they received close to Rs 80,000 for the pandal.
Likewise, the organisers of Badamtala Ashar Sangha is ready to sell off its pandal for subsequent Jagaddhatri Puja this year.
Badamtala's budget this year is around Rs 12 lakh. When it sells off its pandal and art pieces this year, it expects the deal to bring in at least Rs 2-4 lakh more than what the club would spend this year in hosting the puja.