National Award for Ramnami Brings Chaltabagan’s ‘Nishan’ Theme Into National Focus
Kolkata, September 24, 2026: The Manicktala Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja Committee has welcomed the National Film Award recognition for Ramnami, a Hindi documentary that has brought the story of the Ramnami Samaj of Chhattisgarh into the national spotlight. The documentary, directed by Bharatbala Ganapathy, was named Best Hindi Documentary at the 72nd National Film Awards.
The recognition has added significance for Chaltabagan as the community featured in the documentary forms the central inspiration behind the puja committee’s 84th Durga Puja theme, ‘Nishan — The Mark’.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Film Award on September 22, 2026, at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. The award highlights the story of the Ramnami Samaj, whose members have traditionally inscribed the name of Ram on their bodies as a lifelong expression of devotion and, according to the account associated with the community, as a peaceful response to exclusion from temple spaces.
‘Nishan’ Brings the Ramnami Story to Kolkata
This year’s Chaltabagan Durga Puja seeks to interpret the story through the theme of ‘godna’—the practice of tattooing—as an expression of faith, identity, protection and protest.
Artist Aditi Chakraborty, who conceived the theme, places the Ramnami Samaj at the heart of this artistic narrative. Members of the community, including elders, were invited as guests of honour at the launch of the theme in Kolkata on August 31, 2026. During the event, they performed devotional recitations from the Ramcharitmanas.
Speaking about the theme, Sundeep Bhutoria, Chairman, Chaltabagan Durga Puja, said the decision to place the Ramnami Samaj at the centre of Nishan was intended to introduce a wider audience to a story that deserved greater recognition.
He said the National Award for Ramnami had further brought national attention to the community, while Chaltabagan’s Puja would present its story to visitors in Kolkata and audiences beyond the city through the Durga Puja Connect app.
Music Adds Another Dimension
The Nishan presentation will also feature a special musical composition by Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Grammy Award winner and recipient of the Padma Bhushan.
The organisers said the theme will also be accessible to audiences outside India through the Durga Puja Connect app, extending the presentation beyond the physical pandal.
With Mahalaya scheduled for October 10, 2026, visitors will be able to experience the Chaltabagan pandal during the Durga Puja festivities.
A Puja With a Long History
The Manicktala Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja dates back to 1943, when the puja was established in the old iron-trading quarter of Manicktala in North Kolkata.
Over the years, the puja has received several recognitions, including the Asian Paints Sharad Shamman, inclusion in the True Spirit Puja Hall of Fame, and the Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman 2025.
Who Are the Ramnami Samaj?
The Ramnami Samaj, associated with Chhattisgarh, emerged in the 1890s. Members of the community are known for inscribing the name of Ram on their bodies as an enduring expression of devotion.
The tradition also extends to their clothing, including block-printed odhni carrying the same religious inscription. The community holds an annual Bhajan Mela and maintains the practice of reciting the Ramcharitmanas.
For Chaltabagan, the convergence of Ramnami‘s National Award and the Nishan theme places a centuries-old tradition of faith, identity and social expression at the centre of one of Kolkata’s prominent contemporary Durga Puja narratives.
By Suman Munshi | IBG NEWS
