Standing outside the Kankurgachi Swapnar Bagan pandal with three other friends, 20-year-old Chintu Gupta looks just another youth decked up in his puja finery — denims of the latest cut and a bright yellow tee.

But Chintu and his friend Raju Ranjan Prasad (18), are not your average pandal-hopper. The pandal they are lounging in front of is the result of their efforts. With them were 40 other students with various forms and degrees of physical and mental handicap.

“Last year, a group from Manovikas Kendra came to visit our pandal,” says Asish Acharya, member of the organising committee. “I remember their instructor asking why there are no special arrangements for differently-abled kids, who find it more difficult to negotiate crowds and visit pandals.”

It was then the organisers decided that they would definitely do something for special children the next puja.

The Swapnar Bagan Puja this year is a result of that idea.

The pandal, which resembles a colourful doll’s house, is a simple affair.

The interiors are done up with blow-ups of puzzles created by the special children.

“Forty to fifty children from special schools across the city made the artworks on display. For about 20 days before the Pujas, they had been working in a workshop here behind our pandal,” says Acharya.

The lane that leads to the pandal too, is decorated with their artwork.

The first part has crossword puzzles, jumbles and charts displaying simple everyday chores. These have been made by children suffering from autism.

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