Imagine stepping out from the Meenakshi Temple of Madurai and entering St Peter’s Basilica at Vatican City. Or, maybe you are at Hogwarts Castle while your friend calls you from the Pyramids of Egypt. Together, you make a plan to meet at a restaurant near the Burj Khalifa. In the evening, your child insists on visiting the "Land of Toys." You can experience all of these places in just one setting during the annual autumn festival of Durga Puja in Kolkata. Dotted with temporary pavilions which draw inspiration from various monuments, imaginary installations and more, this is the time when the city turns into one large walk-through gallery.
Here is a comprehensive first-timer's guide to celebrating Durga Puja in Kolkata.
Durga Puja coincides with the Navaratri festival celebrated across India. The basic theme is also similar—worshipping the goddess Shakti to seek her protection against all evils. The idol of Durga is crafted in her demon-slaying pose. She carries different weapons in her 10 hands and stands astride on her lion mount, spearing the half-man, half-buffalo demon Mahishasura.
But there is a twist to the concept. To Bengalis, she is not merely a symbol of strength but also a married daughter who is visiting her parental home in the plains for a holiday after living for most of the year in her marital home at Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. It therefore signifies a sense of "homecoming," and people go out of their way to be with family and friends during this time.
The religious celebration may be held at home or as part of a neighbourhood celebration. For the latter, temporary pavilions (locally called pandal) are built to house the idols consisting of Durga and her children (along with their respective mounts) who stand on either side of the goddess on the dais—Ganesha and Lakshmi to the right of Durga and Saraswati and Kartikeya to her left.
While the core of the festival consists of the rites and rituals performed around the worshipping of the goddess, Kolkata has transcended religious boundaries and turned the event into a unique universal carnival. In 2021, the Durga Puja of Kolkata was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. One of the major reasons cited by the world body was that "Durga Puja is seen as the best instance of the public performance of religion and art."
Here, spiritual fervour joins hands with the spirit of carnival, celebration and camaraderie. People of all faiths, castes and creeds can be seen participating in the festive cheer. You may even find a non-Hindu as the head of a neighbourhood Durga Puja organising committee.
While the main festival begins on the fifth day (panchami) of Navratri, celebrations begin much earlier. The preparation of the traditional clay figures begin on the day of the Jagannath Rathayatra at the clay artists’ colonies in and around the city. If you are in the city before the commencement of Durga Puja, you can visit Kumartuli, the artisans’ colony in north Kolkata. The narrow studios with the idols in various stages of completion look grand. However, be careful when you move around these studios and ask for permission before taking photographs.
During Durga Puja, Kolkata turns into a shoppers’ delight. From shops in traditional markets and swanky malls to branded outlets and boutique stores, everyone stocks the latest fashion wear, both traditional and western. Buying new accessories, including shoes and bags, are also a must. Almost every store offers a discount; even brands selling household goods and furnishings have started offering goods at discounted prices. Usually, shops remain open for longer hours in the evening and till the eighth day of the festival.
Some of the well-known markets for traditional wear are Hatibagan in north Kolkata, College Street in central Kolkata and Gariahat in south Kolkata. The shops in Hogg Market (New Market) and the Park Street/Camac Street/Theatre Road areas also do brisk business. Be prepared for traffic jams around popular markets and malls.
From the making of the idols to the temporary pavilions, the organisers of neighbourhood Durga Pujas in Kolkata have always tried to give something unique to the spectators. The experimentation started in the early 1970s, when some of the clay modellers broke away from the traditional style and introduced artistic elements to the idols, while other community organisers used non-clay material such as sugarcane fibres, coins, shells, etc. to make the idols.
The experiment with pandals and idols has now morphed into the concept of themes. Most organisers choose a particular theme, real or imaginary, and present it in the most creative manner possible. For example, if Kerala is the theme, the pandal would be built in the style of a traditional Keralite cottage ringed by coconut trees or shaped like a kettuvallom. The idols would be attired like a Kathakali dancer, with musicians from the state invited to perform live. Lost traditional art and crafts, abstract ideas, and contemporary events (you may recall how a Kolkata pandal had styled the traditional idol of goddess Durga and her children as a migrant woman and her children in the post-pandemic years) are some of the ideas on which themes are based. It is a delight to watch the intricate decorations within and without the marquees as well as the installation art.
In Kolkata during Durga Puja, divide your time between observing the traditional celebrations at the family homes (especially in north Kolkata) and the carnivalesque festivals organised by the various neighbourhood committees. Called thakur dekha in Bengali, it involves visiting pandal after pandal, mostly on foot. Vehicles have to be parked at designated areas, often far from the pandals.
By day, you can visit the homes of some of the old families of Kolkata. Called bonedi bari in Bengali, some of them have been observing Durga Puja at home for centuries. Visiting the pandals by day may help you avoid the huge crowd which surges on the streets from the evening onwards.
However, the best time to see the city is after sundown when the illuminations spring to life. Entire neighbourhoods are decorated with lights and illuminated displays. Join the meandering sea of people as you pandal hop while guided by city police, volunteers and constant announcements over microphones. In the evening, many of the neighbourhoods also host cultural programmes.
Providing sustenance to the surging crowd are the roadside kiosks selling an array of street foods and beverages. The city’s restaurants too offer sumptuous spreads, with plenty of options from Indian to Chinese, Asian to Continental, etc. If you are in Kolkata for the first time, you may try the Bengali thali served at most places, which will give you an idea of the wide range of Bengali cuisine. While pandal-hopping by day, you may get an opportunity to eat the bhog (food offering made to the gods) which is distributed among everyone (as long as it lasts that is).
On sasthi or the sixth day, the goddess is invoked through bodhon, which is performed in the evening.
Although little is known about the origin of this ritual which takes place on saptami or the seventh day, it may be linked with the agrarian root of our society. Leaves of nine plants (naba patrika) are tied together and taken to a waterbody for a ritual bath on the morning of the seventh day. The bouquet is then wrapped in a sari and placed next to Ganesha. As the leaf of the banana plant is the most prominent of the lot, the bouquet is called kola bou (banana bride).
The faithful gather on the seventh, eighth and ninth days of the festival to offer floral offerings (pushpanjali) to the goddess to seek her blessings. The timing of the anjali (held in the morning hours) is announced beforehand. It is customary to fast before the floral offering is made. People dressed in new attire and bare feet gather before the goddess. The head priest chants the appropriate mantra and people repeat them after him.
On the eighth day (ashtami), a pre-pubescent girl is chosen as the living representative of the goddess and worshipped with grand fanfare. Dressed in new clothes and decked up with floral ornaments, she shares the stage with the deity. One of the most popular destinations to see the Kumari Puja is Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Order founded by Swami Vivekananda.
This special ritual takes place at the juncture when ashtami ends and navami begins. It marks the moment when the goddess Durga appeared as Devi Chamunda to kill the demons, Chanda and Munda. Prior to the ritual, 180 lamps are lit. As the priest chants the mantra, the dhaki (drummers) break into a frenzied beat.
One of the riotous but fun-filled rituals takes place on navami (ninth day) evening. Clay pots are filled with burning charcoal which people take in their hands and start dancing to the beating of dhaak. Those who have more expertise hold the clay pots on their head, sometimes even holding a pot by their teeth. Once the forte of men, the dhunuchi naach is also performed by women now.
Traditionally, Hindu women whose husbands are alive wear a vermillion (sindur) mark on their foreheads. On dashami, dressed in finery, they gather to offer sweets and vermillion to the goddess. Women merrily smear each other with vermillion. The ritual is a favourite time for photographers to turn trigger-happy.
The goddess and her children are taken out in a procession for bisorjon or immersion in the river, indicating her return to Mount Kailash. Even today, some of the old households follow the custom where the idols are placed on a bamboo platform and carried on the shoulders of men. Most people carry the idols on a truck up to the river banks, after which the idols are placed on a boat and taken to the middle of the river for immersion.
This marks the end of the annual festival. Young people touch the feet of elders and the elders bless the young. Men of the same age hug each other. Special sweets, especially naru or roundels made with coconut and jaggery, are distributed. Friends and family members visit each other’s homes with gifts of sweets; sometimes they may also get together for meals.
If you are a first-time visitor to Kolkata, initially pandal-hopping may seem a bit overwhelming—the large number of pandals, the people on the street, the traffic, etc. One of the best ways to sightsee is to join an organised day trip. Many pandals collaborate with local authorities to issue special passes which may help you to get past the crowd faster.
Usually, the state tourism department and private tour operators organise day trips in the city. These may cover the traditional homes, some of the popular puja pandals, or a mix of both. Do remember that parking may be a problem and hence you may have to walk a bit to reach the venues. Some even arrange for guests to partake of the bhog on a payment basis at a traditional home.
You can also draw up your own itinerary. Check the digital media for the popular pandals and refer to a map of the city. Although roads may be chock-a-blocked or closed to traffic, you may choose to walk (you will see almost the whole city is out for a walk) or take the metro which runs special services during the festive days. Many of the popular pandals are within walking distance from the metro railway stations. You can buy a smart card for the metro to avoid ticket queues.
On the final day, while you can watch the immersion ceremony from the ground, a ride along the river is more interesting. Check the digital media for information regarding organised boat trips.
Most of the households are known by the name of the founder; the traditional homes are mostly concentrated in the north and central parts of Kolkata with a few across the south and the west. The list below will give you some idea on where to go.
The festival is organised in this north Kolkata family home by the successors of Raja Nabakrishna Deb in the stylised thakur dalan. Note that the goddess and her children stand against a single backdrop on the same platform.
Address: 36 and 33, Raja Nabakrishna Street, Sovabazar
This was started in 1770 by Ramdulal Dey, whose rags-to-riches story is part of Kolkata’s legendary past. The celebration is better known under the name of his sons, both wealthy merchants, who introduced the pomp and pageantry. Here goddess Durga is accompanied by her two attendants—Jaya and Bijaya.
Address: Ramdulal Nibas, 67E Beadon Street (now Dani Ghosh Street)
This north Kolkata home is known for its marble corridor, which is said to be over 80 feet long, and the grand dancing hall (now Khelat Ghosh Memorial Hall). The family does not take the navapatrika to the river for a bath but holds the ritual in their own courtyard.
Address: 47 Pathuria Ghata Street
The festival was started by Shibkrishna Daw’s father in 1840 but is better known after the son’s name as it was he who added the glitz to the festival. The goddess is known for her fine array of ornaments. The nicely maintained north Kolkata home—with its pillared hall and overhanging balconies—has been the venue of many film shoots.
Address: 12A Shibkrishna Daw Lane
Held for more than 160 years, this central Kolkata house is noted for the beautiful quadrangle marked by pillars with decorated lamps topping them.
Address: 2A, Gopal Chandra Lane, Colootola
Located in Janbazar, not far from Esplanade, the once ornate 19th-century mansion has now fallen into disrepair. Lovingly called the rani (queen) because of her philanthropic activities, it was Rashmoni who founded the famous Kali Temple of Dakshineswar. Descendants of the rani's daughters have continued with the Durga Puja (now divided into two). To visit the one the rani had originally started, you have to enter the house from the Free School Street gate.
Address: 13 Rani Rashmoni Road, Janbazar, Central Kolkata
It was from the Sabarna Roy Choudhury family that the English East India Company acquired the three villages of Sutanuti, Govindapur and Kalikata, to build Calcutta (now Kolkata). Travel to the Barisha neighbourhood in south Kolkata to the family's ancestral home to see the Durga Puja which was started in 1610. Two rows of neat columns mark the boundary.
Address: 26 Sabarna Para Road, Barisha, Behala
Located in north Kolkata, this more than a century-old celebration continues to present the idols in the traditional style.
Located in central Kolkata and more than 50 years old, it is known for its architectural splendour and decorations.
Located inside the park with a waterbody, it is known for its extravagantly beautiful pandal and illuminations—the reflection in the lake at night captures the imagination
This park-enclosed pandal has been in the news in the recent past owing to its thematic celebration, with pandals ranging from Buckingham Palace to Swaminrayan Temple.
This park-enclosed pandal in south Kolkata draws a huge crowd not only for its pandal and lighting but also for its ambience. Young people love to congregate here for adda.
This popular pandal, not far from the Gariahat Crossing, has always been known for its architectural representation of heritage temples and monuments.
The organisers skillfully blend the traditional with the modern. Get ready for long queues as visitors shuffle between this pandal and its immediate neighbour, the popular Samaj Sebi Sangha. They also conduct various social welfare activities and arrange for cultural programmes during the festival.
Located near the Kalighat Kali Temple, this Durga Puja is said to date back to 1939. Although they have retained the traditional spirit, they have also joined the "theme" bandwagon.
This pandal—and its neighbour, Shib Mandir—are known for their grand pandal and decoration. The club holds many social welfare activities throughout the year.
This pandal in Salt Lake (east Kolkata) has always been known for its larger than life pandals. Over the past couple of years, they have built world-famous structures such as the Burj Khalifa and St Peter's Basilica. Be prepared for long queues.
It is advisable to book your accommodation in advance as there is a huge rush of visitors to Kolkata during Durga Puja. Some of the best places include The Park Kolkata, Taj Bengal, Hyatt Regency Kolkata, JW Mariott Hotel Kolkata, Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass, Hyatt Centric Ballygunge Kolkata and the Taj Taal Kutir Kolkata. Many of these hotels also hold their own programmes and special buffets.
During Durga Puja, you will be spoilt for choice. If you love street food, you will get some of the best available around the popular puja pandals, especially at the kiosks set up by the neighbourhood home chefs. Some of the fast-moving foods are phuchka and jhalmuri, kathi rolls and momos, and and an array of homemade sweets and desserts. We recommend tasting Moghlai parathas and Indian Chinese stir-fried noodles, too.
Some of the popular standalone restaurants you can try are the multiple outlets from speciality restaurants like Oh! Calcutta, Mainland China, Asia Kitchen and Haka, to name a few. Calcutta Retro is known for its old Kolkata vibes and cuisine. You can try authentic Bengali cuisine at Kolkata Rajbari or Jorasanko. Quaint Bonne Femme adds a modern twist to traditional Bengali and Indian cuisine. If you are looking for a wide choice, then try Park Street, the quintessential food zone of Kolkata. Some of the places to try include Flurys, Trincas, Mocambo, Peter Cat and Bar-B-Q. If you are looking for strictly vegetarian outlets, you can try Royal Vega (ITC Royal Bengal Kolkata), Burma Burma and Govinda's (run by ISKCON).