NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 2, 2003: Durga Puja is a grand annual ritual, and this year Milan Samiti of CR Park in New Delhi has added a special touch by going eco-friendly. Hogla patta (dry leaves from the Sunderbans) have been used for decoration. A clever play of lights, procured from Chandanpur, tells a story graphically, and terra-cotta is used to decorate the pandal. The main attraction is the Durga icon that has been made from biodegradable and non-synthetic materials. The statue also has American Diamond bindis. “Adhering to eco-friendly patterns saw our costs shoot up, but all the members of the Samiti remain focussed on making the pujas a celebration with an intelligent use of products that could be re-used or are biodegradable,” informs Arun Roy, the Secretary of the Samiti. “We have also picked up some of these decorative items from Republic Day floats. This is our way of contributing to saving the environment from waste,” says Arup Dasgupta, who has designed the pandal. The Milan Samiti of K-Block, CR Park, had won the Best Pandal award last year, and this year they’re making an effort to celebrate the pujas with grandeur, but minimize all unnecessary waste.
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