Durga Puja 2023: The Durga Puja pandal of Pathurighata Pancher Pally in north Kolkata this year is breaking some new boundaries and a few taboos surrounding menstruation. A girl sitting on a sanitary napkin-shaped cloud, a collage of women’s faces – mothers, sisters, aunts – interwoven with red threads, and a sanitary napkin-shaped tape recorder sandwiched between calendars are just a few examples.
Breaking the Silence on Menstrual Hygiene at Kolkata’s Iconic Durga Puja
The organisers of the pandal believe that the subject, “Ritumati,” which depicts a woman having her period, would raise awareness about menstrual hygiene and encourage treating it as a natural biological function among people, particularly men. It has been 84 years since Pathurighata Pancher Pally was founded. The puja committee selected the topic earlier in the year, and on May 28—International Menstrual Hygiene Day—it unveiled their banner.
Durga Puja Pandal Takes Shape
The artists are working hard to complete the pandal with just one week until the Puja. The pandal’s primary artist, Manash Roy, has enhanced the subject with the usage of props like paper, red paint, cotton, and other materials. In addition to the puja, the organisers will organise a menstruation awareness camp, during which girls and women entering the pandal will receive sanitary napkins.
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