Inauguration ceremony of Youth Association of Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja celebrating 54th Year with it's theme as Sheesh Mahal

Kolkata: The members of Youth Association of Mohammad Ali Park have taken up the challenge to discover the theme “Sheesh Mahal” which was inaugurated today by Sri. Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Member of Parliament & was attended by: Sri. Vivek Gupta, MLA; Smt. Rehana Khatun, Councillor & Borough Chairman; Smt. Smita Bakshi, Ex MLA; Sri. Sanjay Bakshi, Ex MLA; Sri. Rajesh Sinha, Councillor & many other eminent personalities. They will be completing 54th years of Durga Puja celebrations this year.

Sheesh Mahal is also known as the "Mirror Palace". Gorgeous precious stones and glass, beautifully hand-crafted paintings make Sheesh Mahal a wonder. Mirror-work has long played a significant role in all types of decor, and Rajasthan takes the credit for introducing the world to novel ways of utilising mirrors. The need to beautify affects all aspects of life in Rajasthan and was initially employed to decorate homes. But, in truth, the mirror was first used as an adornment on the outside walls - embedded neatly on the mud walls. Small and circular in shape, these mirrors have an appealing design with white chalk surrounding them.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Surendra Kr. Sharma, General Secretary of Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja said, “We have come up with the Sheesh Mahal theme this year since many people had requested us as they could not visit Rajasthan but wanted to have a taste of the architecture in Kolkata itself. From the quintessential corners of the mind comes alive the wanderlust exploring the rich culture and heritage of an era gone by. To make the celebrations even more vibrant and regal, we are designing this Mirror Palace as one of the magnificent piece of architecture built with beautiful precious stones and glass and with beautiful handmade paintings.”

The wall and ceiling of the Pandal is carved with beautiful paintings and flowers which is made of pure glass and precious stone. It consists of exquisite artwork. The reflection of light converts a small ray of light also into thousand of stars and it looks fantastic and by this you can get an idea of what level of architecture has been used in making this Pandal.

Jaipur's Sheesh Mahal has stood testament to the changing time and evolving cityscape. Going back to why Sheesh Mahal was built in ancient times at Rajasthan and what was the need of this. Many people have this question in their minds. This Mahal was made by glass in ancient days because the queen was not allowed to sleep in open air but she loved to see the stars while sleeping. So the king ordered his architects to make that kind of mahal which could solve the problem. And the architects built Sheesh mahal which was built with stones and glass and in night the reflection of two candles in glass looks like stars in whole room. And second reason was that for palace built. The King used to shift from Sukh Niwas to Sheesh Mahal in winter season. The ceiling mirror glass reflection of the candles keep the room warm. 

On this occasion, Mr. Ashok Ojha, Joint Secretary of Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja said, "With thousands of flickering reflections, the Sheesh Mahal Pandal will illuminate its surroundings, bringing it to life. One can relive the beautiful history of the palace at this Pandal. It will be a reflection of the beauty and grandeur of the royals of Rajasthan. There are various paintings and artworks inside the Puja Mandap that will both interest and astound you. The craftsmanship of this pandal is breath-taking. The paintings of hunting murals on the walls and the distinctive mirror and glass work contribute to the venue's splendour."