Tribute to Sachin Tendulkar: Kolkata Durga Puja pandal changes into cricket stadium

 Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar (L)

Sachin Tendulkar hanged up his boots last year, but the legacy of the ‘God of Cricket’ has not vanished yet. Amidst the Durga Puja celebrations in Kolkata, the fans have set up a pandal in the shape of a cricket stadium with 10 idols of the Indian cricketer gracing it.

Goddess Durga is depicted to be blessing the Little Master from the commentary box in the artificial stadium. Tendulkar, in his 10 avatars, is shown doing all cricketing on-field acts such as bowling, batting and fielding.

Kolkata’s tribute

On the theme 'Ma Durgar Aradhana, Sange Sachin Bandana' (praying goddess Durga along with worshipping Sachin), the organiser Nilendu Basu told PTI  that, by focussing on the career heights achieved by Tendulkar, they want to encourage and influence all youngsters in Bengal 

The glorious career of the 41-year-old has been showcased with souvenirs, photographs and relics from his childhood to his last game in Wankhede, Mumbai. The club committee needed two months to collect the memorabilia of the dashing batsman.

Basu said: "This is our tribute to the man who caught the fancy of the nation for 25 years with his talent and hard work." 

Basu added that, along with praying Goddess Durga, the people should also pay homage to the legendary and dedicated genius’s tireless career, who changed the face of Indian cricket.

Recreating the Little Master

The tributes for the great man is not only limited to the city of Kolkata. Just outside the city, in a place called Sonarpur, the Rail Colony Sarbojanin Durga Puja Committee has set up a pandal, also in the Mumbaikar’s honour.

The members, who also represent one of Tendulkar’s fan clubs, have replaced normal decorative lights with floodlights and the regular hymns with Ravi Shastri’s commentary lines praising the Indian cricketer. The set also includes a pitch and a pavilion. There is a screen placed that airs Tendulkar’s tons.

The ten idols of the former Indian ODI opener have been made out of thermocol and represents his ideal height, which is 5 feet 5 inch. 

The organiser explained the representation saying: "We are also celebrating our 25th year of organising this Puja and Sachin has also completed 25 years of professional career. So we have have chosen to blend religious devotion with passion for cricket."

A 15-feet long World Cup trophy replica has also been erected symbolising the Indian team’s dedication of the victory in 2011 to Tendulkar.

There are also photos, posters and cut-outs along the road to the Puja pandal.