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It seems the gods were smiling on the arrangement -- organizers were delighted when the New Delhi High Court rejected litigation over copyright infringement, filed in the court by Warner Brothers on behalf of Penguin India and J.K. Rowling.
Rowling and Warner Brothers, who control the rights to the series in India, had sought 2 million rupees (US$50,000) in compensation from the group for violating copyright by building the Hogwarts replica out of wood and papier-mache and decorating it with photos from the Harry Potter movies.
"The court has given us permission to use the pandal (structure) and whatever has been made till the 26th of October and no compensation has been directed to be paid," the community's lawyer, Soumitra Ghose Chaudhuri, told the media. The community group had argued that it should not be fined as the celebrations were in the public interest for non-profit purposes.
The goddess Durga may therefore share the model of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with a plaster Harry Potter until Friday, when the festival ends. They are an odd couple -- the spectacled gangly teenager and the mighty goddess -- although both do symbolize the supremacy of good over evil.
Durga, with ten arms holding a sword, conch, discus, rosary, bell, wine cup, shield, bow, arrow and spear, is most often shown riding a lion from which originates her name, Simhavahini -- one who stands astride the king of beasts. Dressed gorgeously in royal red, her hair styled in a crown and flowing in luxuriant tresses, her dark eyes reflect an aura of will and power.
The mythological goddess is portrayed in art and literature in varied forms and colors, but modern festival organizers have decked her out in pageantry and extravaganza. Her festival, once celebrated only by elite business people, politicians and feudal lords, is now embraced by all levels of society.
Clubs, associations and societies have adopted the festival and the goddess. Age-old conch shells and drums have made way for loud film songs, and Durga has on occasion been modeled after popular film actresses.
Each year, various neighborhoods compete for visitors to their shrines that house the goddess by dressing up the shrines with images of movie stars, popular sports personalities and fictional heroes. Praise for originality and themed decorations that attract the most visitors are considered a matter of great pride and honor.
The Durga festival is one of the biggest in India, celebrated with much fanfare and fervor ahead of the Indian New Year that follows in three weeks' time. In Kolkata alone, more than 10,000 structures have been set up. While themed decorations are a part of the modern Indian festival landscape, this is the first instance where copyright has been an issue.
Thus, while the creators of Harry Potter may feel cheated at having their inventions borrowed without permission for the occasion, locals believe that adding powerful subjects from movies and literature add to the aesthetic value of the festival. Those who constructed the disputed Potter models at a cost of 1.2 million Indian rupees (US$30,000) say they make a different model every year. In the past they built a replica of the Titanic.
Harry Potter in his own magical way has become a mascot for the festival organizers in Kolkata. As much as his billionaire creator might disapprove, the blend of magic and mythology has proven a winning combination for millions of Indians who rave over Potter as much as they revere their goddess.
