Putiary

Putiary Club Sarbojanin Durgotsab – A Message of Responsibility in South Kolkata

Putiary Club Sarbojanin Durgotsab is a community (Sarbojanin) Durga Puja committee based at 1, Jadunath Ukil Road, Banerjee Para, Paschim Putiary, in the southern fringes of Kolkata. The club is one of the established neighbourhood pujas of the Putiary–Kudghat belt, an area known for its closely knit para (neighbourhood) celebrations and for turning out thoughtful, traditionally inspired pandals year after year.

In 2025 the club marked its 78th year of Durga Puja with the theme Dayboddho (also rendered Dayabaddha), meaning responsibility or commitment. Eschewing spectacle for substance, the organisers used the pandal to send a message of unity that rises above political and communal divisions. Wall paintings in the style of election campaign art, makeshift stages where leaders appeared to address crowds, and rows of lamps symbolising empathy framed a single idea: that every individual carries a responsibility toward society, friends, and humanity at large.

Speaking to the media during the 2025 festival, secretary Saikat Roychoudhury explained that “Dayabaddha calls upon everyone to shoulder responsibility — toward society, toward friends, and most importantly, toward humanity. For us, it is not just a festival. It is a solemn responsibility — to create a world of love, harmony, and compassion.” The club’s framing drew on the image of autumn clouds of different colours merging into one sky, urging visitors to set aside difference and embrace oneness before the goddess.

Like hundreds of barowari pujas across Kolkata, Putiary’s celebration blends devotion with a civic voice. Its pandals have ranged from traditional pratima settings lit to focus on the idol to more conceptual installations, and the committee is recognised locally for welcoming visitors “as family.” For residents of Paschim Putiary, the annual Durga Puja remains both a spiritual homecoming and a neighbourhood statement of shared values.

• Location: 1, Jadunath Ukil Road, Paschim Putiary (South Kolkata)
• 2025 theme: Dayboddho / Dayabaddha (Responsibility)
• Milestone: 78th year of Durga Puja in 2025
• Secretary: Saikat Roychoudhury