Trishakti Mahapuja Samity won the best pandal and lights award from the Uttarpara Merchants’ Association. Picture by Anup Bhattacharya

With Durga Puja having turned competitive with awards and prize money to be won, puja committees and clubs in Uttarpara are bitten by the award bug too. Uttarpara Merchants’ Association organises one of the oldest Durga Puja competitions in this part of Hooghly, being held since 1997. Most puja organisers watch out for this award. “When we started the competition, it was the only one held in Uttarpara. In the past three years, other organisations and bodies have started competitions as well,” said Ashoke Banerjee, president of the association.

Uttarpara Merchants’ Association comprises 400 traders and businessmen of Uttarpara. Every year, a team of three judges, who are usually residents of places outside Uttarpara, set out to judge the pandals on Saptami. This year, Debabrata Banerjee, Uma Banerjee and Dr Sumit Mukherjee, all residents of Bally, were the judges of the competition.

The team visited 20 puja pandals after which it returned to the association office to decide the winners and the prizes were distributed among the puja committees on Saptami evening itself.

This year’s best idol award went to Raja Peyari Mohan Road Odhibasi Brinda. The best pandal and lights prize was won by Trishakti Mahapuja Samity, that celebrated its 50th anniversary. The best ambience prize went to Friends’ Union Uttarpara while the best of the best or Sarod Shiromani went to Charakdanga Sarbojanin Durgotsav.

Prizes included a trophy, a certificate, a flex and cash prize of Rs 1,001.

Dalia Mukherjee