In a unique move, Besohata Jagatdhatri Puja in Chandannagore has decorated their pandal with statues of freedom fighters.
The puja was virtually inaugurated by chief minister Mamata Banerjee from the podium of Jadadhatri Puja, which was organised by Postabazar Merchant’s Association.
The pandal has been decorated with statues of Sri Aurobindo and Barin Ghosh, who were arrested in connection with the Alipore Bomb case. There is an image of Motilal Roy, who was close to Sri Aurobindo. After he was acquitted from the Alipore bomb case in 1910, he went to Channannagore and stayed in the house of Matilal Roy. Chandannagore was then a French colony and hot bed of revolutionary activities. Kanailal Dutta, a youth from the area, was given capital punishment. Rash Behari Bose, father of INA, had his base in Chandannagore, where he spent his youth. Chandannagore College is the only college in the country where there is a museum on revolutionary movement. The college had remained closed for two decades for the alleged involvement of the students with revolutionary activities.
There are also clay images of Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Thousands of people are visiting the pandal daily.