Shantiniketan Sharodiya Inaugural Edition

SHANTINIKETAN
SHARODIYA

PSN Durgotsav 2019 Idol : Picture by Jayanth

PSN DURGA PUJA SOUVENIR
INAUGURAL EDITION, 2019

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

Elegance Enterprises was established in the month of November 2012. Since
then, it has been a rollercoaster ride where in they have grown from strength to
strength.

With branches in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata & Hyderabad, Elegance is a young and
prolific enterprise and one of the leading authorized premium marketing channel
partners in Bangalore. They have served more than 6000 happy customers enabling
them to purchase their dream home. They deal with both residential and commercial
housing.

Being a member of CREDAI, NAR, Elegance Enterprises uphold high standards
of ethical conduct and professional practice. The true hallmark of their success is in
providing the customer exactly what is promised and this has resulted in them
receiving numerous performance based awards.

Elegance Enterprises have organized and supported several events in PSN over
the past 4 years. We thank them for their support in Durgotsav 2019.

Season’s Greetings from : Season’s Greetings from :

Season’s Greetings from :

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

We’ve Won !!

Pujo brings in immense joy. It is the coming together of people - people who
work in tandem to welcome Ma, to worship her, to make her stay memorable. In the
process, the countless creative sessions, the cha-singhara-adda, building of new
friendships - all leave behind countless memories to cherish until next year.

And these memories become sweeter if someone tells us it was a job well
done.

This year, Shantiniketan Durgotsav was awarded the Best Apartment Puja in
Bangalore by Maitree Bandhan. A testimony to the vibrance of the PSN community
that celebrates with great exuberance .After winning the Best Idol and the Best
Stage at the Sharod Samman 2018, PSN Durgotsav has been awarded the Best
Entertainment-Internal Artist and Best Representation of Bengali Culture at Sharod
Samman 2019. It is a recognition of the creativity, talent and spirit of PSNites who
own every stage they step on.

The variety of cultural programmes showcased in PSN Durgotsav is
unparalleled. Where on one hand we have a flamboyant group of Bhangra dancers,
on the other we have the grace of Indian classical forms like Kathak and
Bharatnatyam. We have vocalists who bring in the melodious nostalgic notes and
there are those who sing the modern tunes. We have had those who have tickled
the funny bone through their skits, those who've given Fashion a new dimension
and those who have used the stage to send across powerful messages. Each of the
168 cultural performances has stood out in its own way and these awards belong to
each one of them. These awards belong to all those who took part in Pushpanjali, in
Bhog, in Sindoor Khela...to the women who welcomed Ma through Agomoni inspite
of incessant rain, to all those who have been burning the midnight oil for
months...to every PSNite who enjoyed and applauded it with all their heart.

PSN keeps making its celebrations better and better every year... So here's to the
PSN spirit of celebration. Asche bochhor abar hobe (It will happen again next year) !!

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

1

Cultural Programmes - Durgotsav 2019

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

2

From The Desk Dear Friends,
I pray for Ma Durga’s blessings for a healthy

and happy life for all of us. On behalf of
Shantiniketan Durga Puja Samiti, I thank you all for
yet another successful and wonderful year of our
Puja celebrations. We all experienced a Grand-gala
and stupendous Durga Puja celebration, this being
the seventh year of our glorious effort. During the
puja, we experience the buoyancy as soon as we
observe and behold the victory of goodness,
honesty, godliness over the evils with Maa Durga,
who vanquished Mahishasoor in the duel to free
heaven from the evil clutches of demons.

In these days, we do have a vision and dream and
without any sort of inhibition and hesitation, we
throng the Puja mandap and go gaga during these
auspicious days. And as such we regain our spirit
and self-confidence to contribute our best to
society. With this note, we again, heartily welcome
with great pleasure and privilege our PSN family
members, sponsors, devotees, supporters and well-
wishers into the celebrations.

Rupak Ghosh Our association has grown from strength to
President strength in these past seven years with your
splendid and overwhelming support and good
Shantiniketan wishes and I can’t thank you enough for the same.
Durga Puja Samiti 2019 In these years, we have grown to a sizeable
magnitude to accommodate the increasing need of
bigger participation. Our sponsors have been
generous as ever to support us. The Pandal,
Cultural Programmes, Bhog and all organizing
teams have been determined to make it the best
apartment Durga Puja of Bangalore. Our Puja won
the Best Apartment Durga Puja award in Bangalore.
We have also won other awards this year as well as
in the past year.
Once again, I thank you all to be part of this family.
I do hope that you continue enjoying our Puja year
after year. May all our dreams come true with the
solemn blessings of Maa Durga. Sharing my best
wishes for Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous
New Year 2020.

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

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Puja & Rituals - Durgotsav 2019

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

4

From The Desk Its been 5 Long years for me here in Prestige
Shantiniketan, Whitefield. And like any other probasi
Haimanti Biswas Bengali we try to make a home away from home, Durga
General Secretary Puja celebrations at PSN gives a feel of home. For all the 7
years of Durga Puja celebrations. its overwhelming to see
Shantiniketan that there has been no dearth of devotees or devotion.
Durga Puja Samiti, 2019 For a Bengali like me, Durga Puja is an emotion Pujo
means Shuili and kaash phul .Pujo means listening to
Tumpa Das Bose Mahalaya with adrakwali chai. Pujo means waking up to
Editor Dhak beats. Pujo means enjoying together. Pujo means
Agomoni beats. Pujo means Dhunuchi nach. Pujo means
Shantiniketan Sharodiya, Ashtami’s Anjali, Khichudi and abra as bhog . Pujo means
Inaugural Edition -2019 no dieting and endless adda. Pujo means Sindor Khela,
wearing saris every day and every evening. Pujo means
new faces to start of friendships.
Looking forward to continued celebrations in PSN year
after year

Here at Prestige Shantiniketan, joyous celebrations are
endless. Similarly, Durga Puja is our commemorative
jollification as a part of the festival of joy, happiness,
wealth and peace. As the feeling of gaiety spreads all over,
we pay tribute to goddess Ma Durga through festive colors
and flavours in the most talked-about puja in Bangalore at
PSN.
2019 was yet another year of enormous effort and
support from our members, patrons and sponsors of
Durga Puja Samiti. It has been a memorable journey of
seven years with Durga Puja Samiti in PSN and we ardently
look forward to decades of togetherness and celebrations
in future. The much-awaited events of PSN Durga Puja
Cultural Events undoubtedly consist of the inhouse
programs performed by the resident sincerely practiced to
deliver wonderful performances. Months of labourious
efforts are combined to put up intricate and elaborate
shows, no less than the professional ones. Such
celebrations enrich our lives, serving to showcase the
cultural and religious heritage of India. Our appreciation
and thanks go out to numerous eminent public dignitaries
who endorse our puja through endless messages of
support. As always, the Puja would not have been possible
without tireless and unending efforts of the members of
our community. Through this edition of Shantiniketan
Sharodiya we endeavour to bring to you a variety of
features like articles, artwork, verses and drawings by the
youth and adults of PSN . Harnessing that essence, we
hope that everyone will enjoy reading this magazine as
much as we enjoyed putting it together for you all.

5

Resident Artists Ritu Shah

Bhaskar Ray

Anjali Deshmukh

Dishita, 11 yrs Avi, 10 yrs

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019 6

In vacant or, in pensive mood

- Kanika Goswami

The Italians have a word for it- La Dolce Far Niente - the ‘sweetness of doing
nothing’, says Liz in Elizabeth Gilbert’s classic story- Eat, Pray, Love - each in a
new country.
Interestingly, this concept exists in every culture around the world- the Dutch call
it ‘niksen', the concept of doing nothing. Even the industrious Chinese have a
concept of Wu wei, which means non-doing or ‘doing nothing’. Only, in the
Chinese concept, it is not about idleness, enjoying the moment of inaction, but
actually means being at peace, even while being engaged in the most frenetic
tasks. Here the calmness ensures that these tasks are carried out with maximum
skill and efficiency. It’s all about striving to be as spontaneous and inevitable as
certain natural processes. It’s about lack of internal struggle, of swimming with
rather than against currents.
The human soul is not meant for constant combustion. The heart is not an
energy motor. The mind cannot be whirring constantly for a lifetime, and still stay
fresh. If it does, the reasons are chemical. And chemicals are not a cure for
anything.
So how is one to be successful, meet all the demands of the society, the family,
personal ambitions, obligations of professional commitments and also stay calm,
peaceful and contented? Because if one doesn’t, the damage is deep.
A curious coincidence - studying the life spans of humans, it is people who come
from old cultures and deeply spiritual conditioning that live the longest.
According to the world population Review 2019, the longest lifespans are found
in Hong Kong and Japan - average of 84.6 years. In the western world, the Swiss
top the list, with 83.7 years almost. Spain and Italy come close with 83.4 years.
…… contd.

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

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In vacant or, in pensive mood

- Kanika Goswami

Contd. From previous page …

What do they do right? There is no dearth of
prosperity or development, no lack of innovation or
modernization. Japan has been the leader of the
industrial world, so obviously, no lack of initiative.

There has to be a secret connect between the
cultures that values a slowdown in hectic efforts,
with a country that is successful in ensuring
longevity for its people.
The whole concept of the ‘pleasure of doing
nothing’ should not be confused with being idle, or
shirking work. It’s downtime for the body and the
mind. It’s a cool off time for the grey cells. After
this time, they come back sharper and faster than
before. A conscious downtime assures positivity.
Cut back in frenzied activities assures clarity of
mind that leads to better thinking powers. More
peaceful mental state, and a much higher level of
empathy as well as intelligence.
Well, contentment and emotional comfort. That’s
what everyone needs today- to calm our constant
pumping for a higher spot on the corporate ladder,
the constant chase for the first spot in the rate
race. At the end of which, even the winner is still- a
rat!
Slowing down, to smell the roses or the shiuli,
stopping to sip a bit of sweet coffee, or a frothy
slurp of freshly brewed beer- just decelerate. Just
take time to admire the blue of the wintery sky and
the pallor of the sunshine in autumn. Just take a
minute to smell the warm smell of frying luchi, or
the waft of kosha mangsho. Remove any other
thought from the mind; enjoy the Bengali
equivalent of Hygge - the Danish and Norwegian
mood of cosiness and comfortable conviviality with
feelings of wellness and contentment. Because, you
see, longevity also means many more years of
luchi.

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

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My Durga

Satvika

Seema Kohli

Meenakshi Kalyan

Neha V

Ambika Nair* Rohan,12 yrs

* - Recreated from Jamini Roy

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

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শেকাল একাল ও পজু ার দিনকাল Kinjal, 10 yrs

- Indraneel Majumdar 10
উনি যে উইন্ডো টো খনু ্ে হোন্ে চোন্ের এক যেেোেো
নিন্ে গম্ভীর মুখ নিন্ে যেনিজ শোনিনিন্কেি এর
গ্রোউড এর নিন্ক েোনকন্ে িোন়িন্ে নিন্েি। মুখ
যেরোন্েি আর একটো িীর্ঘশ্বোস যেেন্েি
বেন্েি, "আমোন্ির কোন্ে িগু ঘো েজূ োর একটো অিয
বযোেোর নিন্েো, জোিন্ে যবৌমো।" যবৌমো আমোর
নিন্ক েোকোন্েি। যবৌমো েযোেটে খুন্ে নবন্কন্ের
নকিু কোেচোরোে নশনিউে নিন্ে মোেোমোনে যে
যেন্গ নিন্েি। এবোর যসটো েোন্শ যরন্খ বোবোর
কথোে মি নিন্ে হন্েো।বোবো যবমোেুম বন্ে
চন্েন্িি, "আমোন্ির একটো েো়িোর েনু ্জো নিন্েো,
েোেেেো ইেোাং যেডস ক্লব। মো ও যবোন্িরো েুন্জো
টো করন্েো। আমরো সোউড, েোইট, থোিো, েুনেশ,
চোিঁা ো, য োগ এই সব আরনক, যিখেোম। যস এক
বযোেোর, বুঝন্ে। এখোন্ি এই কনমউনিটি েুন্জো যে
ওই সব বযোেোর যিই, েো যিখনি।“
েন্রর নিি বোবোন্ক ধন্র িোনমন্ে আিো হন্েো।
মণ্ডন্ের সোমন্ি েথম সোনর যে উনি বসন্েি।
সকোে যথন্ক নকিু মনহেো বনৃ ্দ খবু খোটন্ি, উনি
যিখন্েি। েোরের অঞ্জনে। উনিও যেোগ নিন্েি।
য োগ হন্েো। যবশ নকিু িট যসো ইোং যিন্েন্ির
যিৌ়িো যিৌন়ি করন্ে যিখন্েি। খোওেোর টো যবশ
েৃ নি কন্র আন্ে আন্ে যখন্েি। বোন়ি নেরন্েি।
র্ুমোন্েি। নবন্কন্ে আর বেন্ে হন্েোিো। েোজোমো
এবাং েোঞ্জোনব গোন্ে জন়িন্ে যবৌমো যক নজন্েস
করন্েি আজ রোন্ে নক শীে হন্ব। যবৌমো যিন্জ
উঠন্িি আজ। েোর আর অিয নকিুই মোথোে
ঢু কন্িিো। আনম িরূ যথন্কই বেেোম, "িো, যবোধ
হে!“
বোবো আবোর েথম সোনর যে বন্স িোচ, গোি,
েযোশি যশো এবাং যবৌমোর কীনেঘ কেোে যিখন্েি।
আনম মোন্ঝ নগন্ে নজন্েস কন্র এেোম, "যরোে িো
নবনরেোনি?"কেক্ষি আমোর নিন্ক েোনকন্ে বেন্েি,
"নবনরেোনি!"এই িো হন্ে বোঙোনে!

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

My Pujo Black or White

– Indrani Bhattacharya – Tumpa Das

Bidding Good bye to Ma with Is life just a palette of colours? Vibrant
sindoor khela with a heavy heart … and dull dashes of myriad hues?
it is time to say Ashche bochor abar
hobe … I wish all my friends Shubho Sometimes, life is white, like the peace
Bijoya .Sharing some different that prevails between two nations. It is
shades of Ma Durga that I have the love that a mother holds for her
experienced as she travelled with child, free of any taint or impurity. White
me from Amaravathi ( my ancsetral is the innocence in the laughter and
home) to Prestige Shantiniketan . questions of a child. It is the spark of first
My earliest memories of Barir pujo love, that blinds with its passionate
– dhak, kashor, arati, dhunuchi intensity.
naach and finally bisorjon, all were White is the hair of the elders, a symbol
celebrated in grandeur . Durga Puja of their wisdom. White is the light at the
was still great fun for me until 2003 end of the tunnel. But white is also the
when we shifted to Bangalore. blinding pain that life inflicts repeatedly.
Some fleeting glimpses of Puja
memories at Ulsoor, Koramangala Sometimes, life is black, like the darkness
and Brookfield Pujo after work or on a new moon night. It is the evil that
on weekends I could catch, given creeps in corners, in the shadows. It is
the constraints . In 2013, when we the greed that overcomes rationality.
shifted to Prestige Shantiniketan, Black are the words spit out in anger. It is
got to know a group of enthusiastic the bribe that is exchanged. It is the toil
people were working day and night of those stricken by poverty. Black is
to have Durga Puja started that death, enveloped in despair. It is the
year in PSN . Yes, that same feeling disease that tortures endlessly. But black
of barir pujo had revived. The void is also the slate, waiting to be wiped and
was filled again when Ma Durga written anew.
was back to my home.
As I soak myself in the festivities Above all, life is the synergy of black and
and rituals of Debi Boron today Ma white, not the domination of one. It is
seems to be whispering in my ear " infact, various shades of grey; filled with
I never left you because you had the good and the bad, the holy and the
faith in me". And I feel the power evil, the happiness following the sadness,
within. The power that is the the ecstasy following the gloom. Some
harbinger of good and destroyer of endure deeper shades of grey while
evil . Durga Mai Ki Jai !! some experience lighter.

But none receive all white or all black:
after all, life is hardly that kind or cruel to
anyone…

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

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িরু ্গা An Admirable Woman

- Arun Kumar Sarkar - Deepa Ravi

দরু ্াগ দুর্তিগ নাতিনী দ্িপ‍র্হর িাত্ রনী

মেররর া েহীষািরূ

অন্যায় বধ ক্ররি প‍াররাতন।

বিেগ ারনর অসুর একটা নয়

আর জর্ৎ জরু র।

এরদরই হারি ক্ষেিা এরাই
জনোনষু রক োরর।।

মিাোর আর দিহাি

এরদর হাজার হাজার An admirable woman I know,
এরদরই চক্রারে who always walks with her head held

মদি জরু ে হাহাকার high.
Her eyes sparkle like a thousand stars in
সাদাটাকা হয় কার া
স্বজন মপ‍াষণ আর ঘুষখতেরি the sky.
She has the wisdom, beauty, and courage
তনরে যায় আিার আর া
that one would aspire,
িাইরিা এখন মিাোরক She is a woman that lends a loving hand
খুব দরকার
to a person in trouble.
মকাটট মকাটট বাহু তনরয় A woman who does no wrong. Her
হয় অবিার
দরূ মহাক beauty shines
from within her deep soul.
সাধারণ োনরু ষর হাহাকার। Her smile lights up the darkness like a

warm sun
rising over the horizon.
And her intelligence and hard work

become an
inspiration for many
A woman who walks that extra mile
to mend a broken heart,
And throughout all her hard work,
no one ever see her fall apart
Daily to rise again together
like a beautiful work of mosaic art.

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

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हे मुरलीधर
- Sushma Sanghi

Jayashree Mahapatra हे मुरलीधर, हे कान्हा
Dishita, 11 yrs तुम्हारा प्रेम पाऊ मैं कहांा कहाां

पता है ममलोगे मुझे मंामिर मंे
ममलोगे तुम हर पूजा घर मंे

लेमकन अब मैं जानू कहाां हंै तुम्हारा वास
तुम्हारी प्रीत का धन है मकसके पास

हर माता के मन के अंािर
उसकी हर सांतान के भीतर

हर बालक का सखा बनकर
हर प्रेमी का मप्रयतम होकर

हर मित्रकार का बनकर रां ग
हर नततकी का बनकर अंाग

हर कमव की बनकर कल्पना
हर क्रीडा कार का बनकर लक्ष

हर मूमततकार के बनकर प्राण
हर सुर में मधु समान

तेरी भक्ति के हैं मकतने स्वरूप
जहााँ िेखाूं पाऊ तेरा ही रूप

िुमनया की हर कला की आराधना हो तुम
मेरे जीवन की हर प्रार्तना हो तुम

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019 13

ಸಂಭ್ರ ಮ Celebrating Mothers

- Nandini Gupta Combining the passion and power of

ದಸರಾ ಅಂತೀರಾ, ದರ್ಗಾಷ್ಟ ಮಿ red with the purity and openness of
ಅಂತೀರಾ
white, the colour pink represents the
ಶಂತನಿಕೇತನದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದೇ
ಅಂತೀರಾ II power of woman with gentle and

ವರುಷ್ ವರುಷ್ವು ನಾವಿದಲ್ಲಿ ಯೇ unconditional love.
ಹೊಸ ದುರ್ಗಾಯು ಬಂದು
ನೆಲೆಸುವಳು, As per mythology, Pink signifies the
ಸಂಭ್ರ ಮದಂದ ಮೆರೆವಳುII
eighth incarnation of Maa Durga –
ನಮ್ಮೂ ರು ಚಂದವೀ, ನಮ್ಮೂ ರು
ಚಂದವೀ Mahagauri. It symbolizes hope and

ಎಂದನೆನ ೀ ಕೇಳಲೇಕೆ? freshness of perspective which is
ನಮ್ಮೂ ರ ಕನಸೀ, ನಮ್ಮೂ ರ
relevant to the modern-day
ನನಸೀ
ವಿಸತ ರಿಸಿ ಹೇಳಬೇಕೇ? dynamism.

ಹೊಸ ಹುಣ್ಣಿ ಮೆಯ ಹಾಲು ಹರಿದಂತೆ It is the symbolic hue of nurturing,
ಜಾೆರ ಯಲ್ಲ ಜೀವ ಬಂದಂತೆ,
ಮಲಗಿರುವ ಹೂವಿಗೂ ಜೀವ compassion,affection, thoughtfulness,
ಬಂತಂೆ
and care.
ಚಂೆಯ ಮರೆತು ಕುಣ್ಣವಂೆ II
This year, the Durgotsav 2019
ಇಲೆಿ ೀ ಇರುವ ಪ್ರ ೀತ ಸ್ನ ೀಹಗಳು
ಅಮೃತದ ಸವಿಯಂೆ ನಾಲ್ಲರ್ಗರ್ಗ, communications team has

ನಾಲುು ದನದ ಈ ಬದುಕಿನಲ್ಲ endeavored to make shades of pink as
ಜೀವನದ ಚತ್ತತರವು ಸವಿ ನೆನಪ್ರ್ಗI
the dominant colour of presentation

as we celebrate mothers and their

unwavering, unconditional, gentle

love. We celebrate the mother in

every being - the instinct to nurture,

to protect our dear ones that we all

possess, because a mother's love is

forever the same, forever beautiful..

Intrigue Media
is an interesting team of experienced journalists, content writers,
designers and social media experts, focused on creating market
friendly media solutions, internal and external communications that

reach deep into your market
for insights and solutions that SELL

Content consulting ● Customized Corporate Leadership Content ● Sales Collaterals
and Marketing Communication ● Events and Conferences ● Internal Communication

Advisory ● Video Collaterals ● Word Smithy

www.gotointriguemedia.com [email protected]
[email protected]

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

14

Young Stars @ PSN Ayush, 9 yrs

Avi, 10 yrs

Myra, 10 yrs Prachee, 16 yrs

Varnika, 3yrs

Ishaan, 4 yrs Ayonaa, 9yrs

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019 15

Ma Esechhe

-Ayantika, 14 yrs

As one of Asia’s largest residential complexes, Prestige Shantiniketan offers the
best of all the worlds. The flora and fauna of Bangalore, the serenity of a large ,
open space and the cutting edge technology support providing an ultra-modern
lifestyle- all come together in a stunningly beautiful landscape and homes
layout. But what sets Shantiniketan apart from the other apartment complexes,
beyond the beautiful lifestyle, is its prolific cultural diversity, and the resultant
cultural festivities. They rival the regional excellence, many swear. The Ganesh
festival in the complex is a riot of festivity, music and devotion. Drum beats, and
warrior women on motorcycles lead the petulant Ganesh home, the entire
community worships him devoutly amid sacred chants and then celebrates with
cultural bonanzas in the evenings.

The Durga Puja festival here is an occasion that many Bengali families are willing
to miss their home pujas back in Kolkata for! Indeed, such a varied range of
cultural programs, such a strict ritualistic worship of the goddess Durga, and so
much of excitement - one has the glimpse of divinity in the hard work of
volunteers and the eagerness of participants!

My family being a part of the founding committee of Durga Puja in Prestige
Shantiniketan has been an honour and a joy which goes far far beyond measure
for me. The last 7 years that Ma Durga has blessed us with more than deserved
prosperity and happiness, has perhaps been the result of our devoted and
sincere service.

This year was no different- the graceful agomoni, the sound of the dhaak that
somehow starts rhyming with ones heartbeat, the frenzied shrill ululing calls,
and the plaintive cry of the conch shell- the dainty rustle of silks, dhakais and
soft clinks of pola -shakha with gold bracelets on the pretty wrists of all women-
(some established corporate head honchos) - it was another Puja to remember.
And like all Durga pujas, it went by just too fast!

And when Ma leaves after sharing her sindoor- her auspicious touch, with the
women of this complex, all that is left behind is a sudden silence. A void that
needs to be filled by great memories. Suddenly, five days of super festivities are
over, and the complex is calm once more. Pujo shesh!
We live on with the certainty that she will be back next year…asche bochor
abaar hobe! And hope springs once again!

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

16

A modern edition of the
Ramayana

-Aarya, 10 yrs

The story begins when Rama’s aunt Kaikeyi wanted her son, Bharat to play with
X-box first. But since Rama was the oldest and the most intelligent one, he
wanted to play the game first. At this Kaikeyi was enraged and she grounded
Rama for 14 days stating that he will not be allowed to touch X-box or any other
devices on these days. Rama’s friend Sita and his toddler brother Lakshman was
also grounded along with him. As a part of the punishment they all had to stay in
a small room with a window. Kaikeyi allowed each of them to take one game of
their choice and some basic supplies.
All of them moved into the small room and played with their board games and
looked through the window at the playground. Many kids came to the
playground but the most notorious of them was Ravana. He was a real bully and
would trouble other kids. He had been eyeing Sita’s board game for a while and
had tried snatching the game from her many times with no luck.

On one of the last few days of punishment, when Sita was looking out of the
window, she saw an injured kitten crying in pain. She asked Rama to go and help
the kitten. Rama reluctantly agreed to step out but told Lakshman to stay with
Sita and protect her. Time passed by and when Rama did not return, Sita got
anxious and pleaded Lakshman to look for him. Lakshman was in a big dilemma
and was worried to leave Sita alone, so he drew a line with crayon around Sita
and left in search of Rama. As soon as Lakshman left the room, Ravana who had
been hiding and watching all the events unfold in the room, hit himself with a
rock and made it look as if he was wounded. He entered the room through the
window and begged for Sita’s help. Sita got worried at Ravana’s hurt and without
thinking she crossed the line to help Ravana. Right at that moment, wicked
Ravana snatched the board game from Sita and knocked her down. He then took
Sita and the board game out of the window to deep in the woods. After hours
when Rama and Lakshman returned, they were unable to find Sita and suddenly
stumbled upon few blocks of the board game that had fallen outside the window.
They realised it must have been Ravana who had come in their absence and took
Sita along. They started walking towards Ravana’s favourite hideout and on the
way found Sita lying unconscious. On seeing this, both brothers got annoyed and
went to fight with Ravana. Ravana ran to his house and complained to his parents
and Rama, Sita and Lakshman returned to their little room. They are planning for
a success party and suddenly… the alarm rings… and I wake up. It is 6am and I
need to get ready for school for the “Little Authors Day “ !

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

17

DidYou Know? The face of Ma
Durga on Durgotsav
2019 posters was

hand drawn by
Haimanti Biswas

There were
more than
3500 servings
of Bhog this
year during

Pujo

More than 600
frames were used
for decorating the
Durgotsav 2019

stage

There were 168
cultural

performances in
Durgotsav 2019

Here's a shout out to the lovely

resident ladies who conceptualized,

designed and decorated the stage -

Surbhi Poddar, Jayashree

Mahapatra, Sonika Neeraj ,

Ambika Nair and Reetu

Moudgil.

Kudos to our superbly talented ladies
!!

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

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Merry Christmas Memories

– Swati Mitra -Kyra, 13 yrs

Oh, it has arrived, the magical month! Feather-quills dipped in ink
Cold and yet warm. wells, pens bought, hear the store
The days are counted, and the nights bells.
remembered, The words show up on every page,
Love and hope join their hands reminders of all the blood we’d taste,
together. The smiles that stay frozen now in
Far in the corner of the room stands photographs and they ask us how
the decorated one, Something that must have been so
Dangles, glitters, light, one and all. sweet became the source of such
Cheers in the evening and plum cake misery.
for night, All the world couldn’t stop us then,
The Turkey makes the course full our broken hearts and promises bent
tonight. We’d scream song lyrics in the back of
The beardy old man brings hope to all, the bus that made us forget who we
Can I be the one to hold the hand? were
Lives, one hopes could be as weaved A group of hopeless, unnamed kids on
as this one, our own and with a lisp
For it is - once, that must not be Holding hands and fighting wars we’d
forgotten rush our way through it all.
There wasn’t a morning that would go
unheard, for all our flaws, we’d flock
like birds family,
Was what we used to say before we
fell at the end of every day.
Maybe we went on separate paths,
but we’ll never forget when we
crossed our hearts,
Because blood derives from hollowed
casts and there was never a day we
didn’t go mad

Picture Credits The shutterbugs of PSN have left no
stone unturned in capturing the

essence of Pujo in the most beautiful

manner :

MC Hansa, Sajith Augustine, Jayant Kumar, Kiran Majumdar, Kavita Singh(Kavya),

Subroto Goswami, Souparno Bagchi, Haimanti Biswas, Yogendra Maheshwari,

Pallavi Gupta Bhowmick, Ruma Das, Banibrata Bhattacharya, Indraneel Roy

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

19

Down the Memory 2016
Lane 2015

2018

2017

2014

2013

2018

2017

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

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ThankYou to all those whose tireless efforts made
Durgotsav 2019 grand and spectacular

Aarohi Nandi Indrani Bhattacharya Sajith Augustine
Aarya Poddar Ishaan Gangabasi Samhita Das
Aayushi Santra Jayanth Kumar Sanjana Ghosh
Abhishek Jayashree Mahapatra Sanjana Saika
Abhishikta Roy Jayati Dasgupta Sanjay Chatterjee
Abira Mukherjee Jyoti Gupta Sanjay Trishal
Aditi K.Subramaniam (Subbu) Sanjeev Banerjee
Akshaj Roy Kanika Goswami Sarah Santra
Ambika Nair Kanishka Chatterjee Satvika Ray
Amit Sinha Kiran Majumdar Shaayoan
Amitabh Poddar Krishnenjit Roy Shaurya
Anika Mansi Mukherjee Shruti Gangabasi
Anindya Chandra Mira Guha Thakurta Shubhankar Mitra
Anindya Poddar Mitali Bajaj Sonali Ghosh
Anita Sinha Moumita Poddar Sonali Roy
Anjana Roy Natarajan Sonika Neeraj
Anwita Neel Bhatnagar Soumita Khan
Aparna Bhattacharya Nisha Subarna Majhi
Arpita Paul Nita Roy Subhashree
Atithi Ghosh Paramita Biswas Subhranil Gangabasi
Aurobindo Paras Bagchi Subroto Goswami
Ayantika Paromita Roy Ghosh Sucheta Chatterjee
Ayonaa De Parul Gupta Suchi
Ayush Das Payel Banerjee Suchismita Moitra
Banibrata Bhattacharya Pradyut Kumar Dhar Sudakshina
Barnali Roy Prasenjit Roy Sujay Das
Bidisha Mitra Majumdar Prasenjit Saha Sukla Dutta
Brijesh Priya Tandon Sumantra Nandi
David Poddar Rahul Surabhi Poddar
Debalina Das Majumdar Rashmi Agarwal Susnata Singh
Debalina Saha Dutta Reetu Moudgil Swagata Mitra Majumdar
Deblina Banerjee Richa Swati Guha Thakurta
Deepankar De Riddhi Dutta Sweety Roy
Deepika Ritu Chatterjee Tannistha Trishal
Dinesh Soni Rituparna Ghosh Tripti Dutta
Gunjan Bhatia Roopa de Tumpa Das
Haimanti Biswas Roopali Vandana Johri
Hansa Roshni Subramaniam Vinay Bhatia
Harsheen Rupak Ghosh
Indrani Banerjee S K Mitra

Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019

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Shantiniketan Sharodiya 2019