“Four Durga puja pandals in West Bengal were awarded the Governor’s ‘Durga Ratna’ awards,” an official said on October 25.
“The four are Kalyani ITI, Tala Prattoy, Bandhudal Sporting Club, Baranagar and Netaji Colony,” the official said.
“Tala Prattoy got the award for “creative use of light and shade” in their pandal, while Kalyani ITI got it for “grandeur and visual delight”,” he said.
“Bandhudal Sporting Club, Baranagar bagged the Durga Ratna award for “environmental consciousness” in their pandal and the Netaji Colony (Low land) for “innovative theme”,” the official said, adding that a cash prize of ₹5 lakh would be shared by the four winners. “They will also be presented with a citation and a plaque,” he added.
"The 'Durga Ratna' awards instituted by Governor C. V. Ananda Bose to recognise the most outstanding Durga Pandal, which reflects the essence of Bengaliana, is shared by four pandals of the State, based on people's choice," the Raj Bhavan official said.
“The entries for the award were solicited from the public, who responded to the designated email of Raj Bhavan and the award was sponsored by the State Bank of India (SBI),” he said.