Greenply Foundation’s Thought Provoking Puja Initiatives to Make Pujas Sarbojonin In The True Sense
Greenply Foundation wants the Kolkatans to sit back and take notice of its thought-provoking initiative this Durga Puja season aimed to make the celebrations accessible for all.
The festival of Durga Puja that set forth in Calcutta sometime between the 16th and 17th centuries has gone on to become an integral part of a Bengali’s ethnic identity. Initially a property confined to the mighty and affluent zamindars of the state, with the conception of the ‘Sarbojanin’ puja it became an affair to be rejoiced by the common people as well. The nomenclature signifies that the festival is an all-inclusive affair that people from all backgrounds should be able to take part in. But has the concept been justified?
In a video spanning a few minutes, Greenply takes the viewfinder around the city and captures what might be an eye opener for Durga Puja committees in and around Kolkata, irrespective of the grandeur it commands. The video features four citizens who may have been deprived of going out and soaking in the festivities due to physical limitations. While some are seen recollecting their younger days when they were not bound by limitations, some mention that since they are differently abled, they have only ever been able to take part in Durga Puja through their television sets. These statements are followed by a message from Greenply which says that they have come up with the idea of a simple ramp made of plywood that will make the pandals a little more accessible, a little more wheelchair friendly.
The structure which will be known as The Green Ramp will start its success journey by making the pandal of Badamtala Ashar Sangha a wheelchair-friendly pandal. Further, to encourage more Pujo committees to follow in their footsteps, Greenply is inviting them to upload pictures of their pandals on social media (Facebook and Instagram) with the message: ‘Name of the Puja’ needs a ramp accompanied by the hashtag #pujoforall. Greenply will promptly send their plywood to build a ramp for their pandal. Pujo committees which have already planned the construction of ramps can upload a photo of their premises with the message: ‘Name of Puja’ has a ramp, accompanied by #pujoforall.
Based on the information, a map with Ramp-enabled pujos will be published as a Social Media post by Greenply. This will help people who have been unable to visit pandals discover Pujos and have a hassle-free pandal hopping experience.