Top 5 Durga Pujo Pandals in Bangalore 2015

Just the other day it was Maha Shashti of Durga Pujo 2015 and today the Mahanavami too ended; how soon the days flew! While Ma Durga was battling the evil that engulfed Earth, I, a mere mortal was battling the traffic and chaos of Bangalore city in an effort to reach the various Durga pujo pandals scattered all over the city. Nevertheless it had been an enjoyable experience meeting friends at different corners of the city on the pretext of visiting Durga Pujo pandals.

Each and every association has put up the idols and organized the pujos in the best possible way, here is my list of 5 Durga Pujo pandals which have done very well and I am glad I could visit.

Oikotan Hebbal Durga Pujo.

This Pujo pandal scores high on not just the theme of the pandal but also on beauty and colorfulness of the idols. The Goddess was housed in a boat with a golden peacock sculpted at the head of the boat which looked magnificent against the clear blue skies! The idols were made completely of clay (no attached clothes or hair) and painted with eco friendly bright colors. The entry and exit points clearly marked unlike in some other pandals where confusion prevails all day long. The interiors of boat had wonderful art work. The arrangement inside the boat is neat and impressive.

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Jaymahal Sarbajanin Durga Pujo.

This is their 61st year of celebration and with so many veterans working behind the screens of the pujo preparations the result had to be good. The theme for their decoration this year was Vivekananda Rock memorial of Kanyakumari. The structure was made of saffron cloth and wood. The flags flying and wavering continuously along with breeze, the statue of Vivekananda standing amidst the waves, all excellently depicted. Superb craftsmanship! The interiors too had murals of scenes from Vivekananda’s life. It proved to be a good learning experience for all. The idols were simple though, Oikotan pandal scores over them for this. The arrangement inside is good, neat and well planned.

durga_pujo_pandals_3Socio Cultural Association, Indiranagar.

The theme concept is missing in all other pandals that I visited, though each pandal put in effort to beautify the idols. Socio Cultural association used white shoal pith to decorate the idols. Elaborate jewelry and crown designs made of white shoal pith adorned the idols. And they were housed in copper colored arched structures. The entry and exit points weren’t clearly marked which did give rise to confusion at times. Thir cultural programs were awesome. The baul geet I just heard is still ringing in my years. Excellent seating and food arrangements done!

durga_pujo_pandals_4Bengali Association Bangalore.

Every year I visit this pandal. It is as if my pujo celebration isn’t complete without having a glimpse of these idols here. The massive scale in which they organize the Durga Pujo every year stuns me! It is crowded yet there is no chaos, it is not very organized yet there is no confusion, the idols too aren’t very glamorously decked up yet the presentation is too good; in short don’t miss the Durga pujo in this pandal if you are in Bangalore at this time of the year! They score the highest in their arrangement of food stalls which very successfully draws not just the Bengali crowd but also the non-Bengali crowd and that is what makes this pandal the most successful!

durga_pujo_pandals_5Koramangala Krishna Mandir Durga Pujo.

Allow me to mention this pandal in this list. This Durga Pujo pandal figures here for its simplicity! I found no elaborate theme or glamorous decorations, neither there is any food stall nor any parking facilities but once I entered the pandal the holiness of the atmosphere silenced me! I could come back carrying a little bit of peace in my heart and I was content with that!

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Pandal Hopping on Maha Shashti of Durga Pujo

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