KOLKATA: Durga Puja in Kolkata has never been just about rituals, but also about stories that are often told through art.

This year, the Khudiram Colony Puja has caught attention with a bold and emotional theme, ‘Extinction.’ And the highlight? A towering 24-foot idol of Saalumarada Thimmakka, the 112-year-old environmentalist from Karnataka, who is known worldwide for planting thousands of banyan trees. Walking into the pandal, visitors are met with powerful images that depict the dangers of a changing world. A giant whale carries the ruins of human civilization on its back, while a life-sized rhinoceros stands as a symbol of species that are on the brink of disappearing. Murals on the walls bring to life the struggles of tribal communities whose traditions are also fading. The entire se

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