Art and Culture

Manicktala Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja Committee wins numerous Awards as Nishan theme captures hearts

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 17 Oct 2026, 02:13 am

The 84th Durga Puja of the Maniktala Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja Committee, one of North Kolkata’s most renowned Durga Puja committees, drew special attention this year for its unique theme, ‘Nishan’ (The Mark).

Adorned with Ram Naam and Ram Dhun, the puja pandal presented a rare confluence of devotion, faith and cultural heritage that won the hearts of visitors.

On the strength of its distinctive concept and artistic presentation, the committee secured numerous awards, including the Asian Paints award.

Curiosity about the ‘Nishan’ theme was evident among people immediately after the inauguration.

The spiritual atmosphere created through Ram Naam and Ram Dhun gave the pandal a distinct identity.

Rituparna Sengupta with artist Aditi Chakraborty who conceptualized the theme Nishan - The Mark for Manicktala Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja Committee. Photo: PR Team

This unique blend of faith and art drew the attention not only of devotees but also of pandal-hoppers touring the city’s many Durga Puja venues.

From the very day after its inauguration, the pandal began to be ranked among the best puja pandals of the season.

The awards that followed from various organisations further boosted the committee’s enthusiasm.

This year, the committee received several prestigious honours, prominent among them a place in the ‘Sera Dosh’ (Top Ten) under the Rang Mashal Sharad Samman 2026, the Utsav App Sharad Samman 2026, ‘Bochhorer Bismoy’ (Wonder of the Year), Asian Paints, Ananda Sarbajanin, Kalyan Sharad Samman, Pratidin, Anandabazar Patrika’s Sharad Arghya, and Utkarsh Arohan.

Receiving around 50 awards, including these prestigious honours, stands as a remarkable achievement of this year’s puja for the committee.

Actress Rituparna Sengupta at the Manicktala Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja. Photo: PR Team

Puja Committee Chairman Sundeep Bhutoria said that, carrying forward a glorious 84-year tradition, the Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja Committee has once again demonstrated its creative thinking, artistic vision and commitment to cultural values.

Through the ‘Nishan’ theme, the committee conveyed the message that Durgotsav is not merely an occasion for grand decoration, but also a powerful medium for the expression of faith, tradition and culture.

He added that the continuing stream of honours has brought fresh recognition to the committee’s efforts and further strengthened its distinctive place in North Kolkata’s Durga Puja tradition.

About the Puja theme

Conceived by artist Aditi Chakraborty, ‘Nishan — The Mark’ traces godna, the tattoo, as an act of faith, protection and quiet protest.

At its heart is the Ramnami Samaj of Chhattisgarh, a devotional community whose members have inscribed the name of Ram across their bodies since the 1890s as a peaceful answer to caste exclusion, and whose devotion inspired the Ram Naam and Ram Dhun that fill the pandal.

The theme is set to a special composition by Grammy Award winner and Padma Bhushan Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and the committee sums up the journey in one Bengali phrase, ‘Akshar theke Aakar’ — from the letter to the form.