Durga Puja has been a festival I have cherished since childhood. The festival is celebrated for about 10 days, starting from Mahalaya, when the goddess Durga starts descending from Mount Kailash to Earth to fight the demon Mahishasura. Five days are celebrated with utmost joy and merriment –Shasthi, Saptami. Astami, Navami and Dashami. The face of the Goddess idol is unveiled on Shasthi. On the day of Dashami, the idol of the goddess Durga is immersed.

‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ is inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List. A year back, I was fortunate to be in Kolkata to be part of the festival. The clay idols of Goddess Durga are worshiped in various pandals (or pavilions). The general practice is Pandal hopping and admiring the idols during the Durga Puja days. More than 100 pandals are installed in Kolkata. Broadly, there are three types of pandals. A few very popular pandals demonstrate magnificent theme-based artwork and attract huge crowd. There is ‘bonedi barir durga pujo’, where Durga Puja is performed by the descendants of royal or renowned families at their ancestral houses. The third type of pandal is popularly known as ‘parar pujo’ – the pandal in the neighbourhood, where the residents of the nearby houses offer prayers to Goddess Durga.

The list of popular Durga puja is available on many websites. Each popular pandal had a theme. The idol and the pandal are decorated based on the chosen theme. In the year 2023, one pandal had the theme of ‘puchka’ (a popular street snack) while the other had the theme ‘Akshar’ (the alphabet). One puja theme converted a locality into the Sukumar Ray’s Children series – Abol Tabol. During the Durga puja days, it seems like the entire City of Joy (Kolkata) is translated into numerous art installations. Each installation is unique. Throughout the night, one can see people hopping from pandal to pandal.

Visiting Kolkata during Durga Puja is an experience. For me, it is an experience to cherish for a lifetime. 

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