During Durga Puja, Kolkata transforms into an open-air art gallery where millions of devotees visit pandals to marvel at extraordinary craftsmanship. At the prominent Tridhara Sammilani venue in South Kolkata, visitors this year are encountering a unique installation that bridges ancient devotion with modern environmental consciousness. Standing alongside the primary traditional deity is a 5.5-foot-tall sculpture of Goddess Durga crafted entirely from approximately 13,000 recycled plastic pens and an equal number of recycled refills.
Reimagining Everyday Waste
Conceived and executed by Kolkata-based artist Chandra Nath Saha in partnership with pen manufacturer Linc Limited, the large-scale installation measures 5.5 feet in height, 4.5 feet in width, and 3 feet in depth. Saha meticulously assembled thousands of black and colored ballpoint pens into intricate contours, forming the divine silhouette, arms, and facial features of Maa Durga.
For Saha, working with plastic writing instruments presented a distinct creative challenge. The familiar shape and function of everyday stationery had to dissolve into a cohesive sculptural form. As thousands of individual pens were bound together, their domestic identity receded, giving rise to an imposing cultural symbol. The artwork creates an arresting juxtaposition between a ubiquitous consumer item and Bengal’s most revered deity.
Bypassing Traditional Water Immersion
What truly distinguishes Saha’s installation from conventional festival idols is its post-festive life cycle. Traditional Durga idols made of clay, straw, and synthetic paints are customarily immersed in rivers and ponds during Visarjan, often contributing to seasonal water pollution and heavy metal contamination.
In contrast, the 13,000-pen Durga idol will bypass water immersion entirely. While the main traditional idol undergoes customary immersion, Saha’s pen installation will be carefully dismantled after the festival concludes. Its plastic components will then be transported to industrial recycling facilities, where the raw materials will be processed and manufactured into brand-new writing instruments and consumer goods. This closed-loop approach ensures zero material waste and protects local water bodies from plastic contamination.
Promoting Environmental Stewardship
The installation serves as a compelling visual lesson in waste management for the hundreds of thousands of pandal-hoppers attending Tridhara Sammilani. Single-use plastic stationery components represent a significant portion of urban non-biodegradable waste that frequently ends up in land dumps or drainage networks.
By displaying the potential of upcycled materials at a mainstream cultural venue, the organizers hope to inspire public conversations around conscious consumerism and responsible waste disposal. The artwork proves that eco-conscious choices do not require compromising on artistic grandeur or cultural reverence.
Protecting Waterways Through Design
Beyond its visual appeal, the sculpture highlights the pressing need for sustainable festival management across India. Incorporating upcycled installations alongside traditional clay icons provides a practical framework for reducing the environmental footprint of large-scale public celebrations. By repurposing plastic waste into public art, Saha demonstrates how cultural heritage and ecological responsibility can mutually reinforce one another.
Community Environmental Action
The Tridhara Sammilani installation serves as a catalyst for grassroots environmental advocacy among festival attendees. Local youth volunteers distribute educational pamphlets at the venue, explaining how household plastic sorting prevents municipal drainage clogging. By transforming festive curiosity into practical action, the initiative demonstrates how traditional cultural gatherings can directly foster sustainable living habits across urban neighborhoods.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Chandra Nath Saha’s recycled pen installation at Tridhara Sammilani demonstrates the power of combining artistic creativity with environmental responsibility. By converting 13,000 discarded pens into a sacred image and returning them to the industrial supply chain afterward, he offers a practical blueprint for circular economy principles in public festivals. As urban centers face growing plastic pollution, integrating sustainable material design into cherished traditions reminds us that honoring culture and protecting the planet go hand in hand.
How can festival committees and municipal authorities across India encourage artists to adopt closed-loop, non-polluting materials for public installations?
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