Braille boards to be installed in Durga Puja Pandal; reason is quite appealing

Kolkata: The visually challenged devotees have been missing out on the festive activities due to their challenges. Now big relief has come for them. The pandal decorated at Hazra Park has taken up a unique initiative of making the celebrations more inclusive and bringing together differently-abled people. The theme chosen for this year’s Puja celebrations is “Tandav”, and it will be displayed across braille boards for the visually challenged devotees.

Durga Puja celebrations in Hazra Park completed 80 years, and they have chosen the theme “Tandav” to represent their pandal. It aims to convey the ‘tandav’ faced in many aspects of life in the form of nature or religion and documents the many struggles of human life. Hazra Park is known for bringing forward new and innovative ideas, and they have kept this image intact even this year. They will be introducing a braille board in the pandal to help the specially-abled to grasp the look of the pandal with the help of their sense of touch and not rely on anyone else for the same.

The General Secretary of Hazra Park, Sayandeb Chatterjee, said, “Many times it happens that because of their problem of not being able to see, these people are left at home, and thus they cannot feel the Puja Pandal themes.” However, embracing the idea that Puja is for everyone, they have collaborated with the National Institute of Professionals (NIP) to have braille boards installed at the pandal.