The eternal battle of good over evil, depicted in the myth of Durga's slaying demon Mahisasura, has been made contemporary by innovative artisans as the recent debacle of Pakistan in Kargil.

As organisers vied with each other to get their pujas inaugurated by personalities including ex-Army General Shankar Roy Chowdhury, the famed artisans from Chandannagore resurrected scenes of glory from the Kargil war through their myriad lights.

Scenes of the Indian Army scaling the heights of Kargil, braving gunfire by the occupying Pakistani forces and captured arms being deposited by a `villainous' Nawaz Sharif at the feet of Prime Minister Vajpayee, light up the city's evening sky injecting a distinct patriotic fervour to the six-day ritual.

Military fervour is also noticeable in the pandals depictingnaval ships of Santosh Mitra square or the Kargil heights of Sealdah Athletic Club side by side with replicas of famed temples like Tirupati, Pipli, Mayapur, Jagannath etc.

The national colours blaze across a pandal in South Calcutta where a huge cutout of India's map attracts visitors.

The pujas also pay tribute to Kargil martyrs. The life and times of city lad, martyred Kanad Bhattacharya, complete with the final gun salute, are captured on eight canvases at a Central Calcutta pandal by artist Montu Pal.

Priests chanted from Sri Sri Chandi, invoking the goddess on bodhon on Friday, `breathing life' into the clay images and renewing interest in the eternal myth of the 10-handed goddess, at once the destroyer and preserver, the transient and the permanent.

It is said that Brahma appeared in the form of Uma who is the embodiment of Brahma Shakti. This is the cosmic energy from which all creation springs.