About 30 designers from Kolkata camp in city to decorate pandals

Bengali touch to city Ganapatis

About 30 designers from Kolkata camp in city to decorate pandals

About 30 designers from Kolkata have been camping in the city to decorate the Ganesh pandals with a variety of cloth and wood.

"Pune and Kolkata cultures are similar in terms of religious customs and aesthetic sense," said Ratan Mistry, a senior decorator working for Hatti Ganpati Mandal at Navi Peth.

Bengali designer Ratan Haldar is in the city to lend his artistic touch to the Ganapati mandals.
Pic/Vivek Sabnis

"I have been specially invited by Shyam Mankar, the president of this mandal. Ganesh festival in the city is a good season for us to earn money," said Mistry.

Mistry purchased about 2,000 metre-long cloths from Mumbai and Kolkata to decorate Ravan Darbar. "I have also used curtains to give a rich and royal look to the pandal," he said. Many other designers from Kolkata have been invited for the same kind of works by various Ganesh pandals throughout the city," he said.

His other colleagues from Kolkata Rajiv Haldar, Uttam Haldar, Subroto Haldar, Hrishikesh Mistry are busy at Shaniwar Wada Ganesh Mandal decoration work. There are about 12 Ganesh mandals in Kasba Peth and eight in Budhwar Peth where designers from Kolkata are busy completing the decorations," said Uttam Haldar.

"The city has appreciated our talents and has been giving us a chance to work since last two years. We hope that more designers will come and serve the Ganesh mandals in the city next year," Haldar said. "I am busy draping the Lonar Ali Mandal, which will display a scene from Ramayan.

from other states

Rajasthani artist Chhagan Mistry and his team are busy making paintings on the walls of Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandal.

Ashok Shah from Gujarat runs an electric shop in Nana Peth and provides light and stage decoration to Ganesh mandals in Guruwar Peth, Nana Peth and the Cantonment area.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels