Kolkata:
The puja pandal at Ballygunge Samajshebi on Lake Road is being held from the year before Independence. It's a must see for most Kolkatans and has made its mark in recent years with innovative pandals but the goddess is always traditional.
"We are very famous for our traditional puja. In south Calcutta now there are many theme pujas but we don't prefer these pujas because you need to be very divine, very traditional, because puja is our culture, our heritage," said Arijit Maitra, of the Ballygunge Samajshebi Shangha.
A stone's throw away is Ballygunge Cultural which is all of 60 this year. They did try modern idols and theme pujas some years ago but tradition won the day.
"The theme pujas are more like an exhibition. But when it comes to traditional goddess, somehow, there is much greater involvement of the local people. It comes from the heart. People come and pray here, which doesn't happen with theme pujas I think," said Anjan Ukil, member of the Ballygunge Cultural.
Across Rashbehari Avenue is Tridhara Sammelani which has been around since 1947 but really came into its own in the last 4 to 5 years. It's again a traditional puja but with a twist.
"It's absolutely extra-traditional, very ethnic, very Hindu. I think more than theme we belong to the traditional group," said Gargi Mukherjee, one of the members of the Sammelani.
Traditional or theme, the pujas are a time to go pandal hopping and this once at least leaping without looking is fine because at the end of it, there is Goddess Durga - a many splendoured divinity.