Beyond the idol

Kolkata’s Durga Puja is a majestic celebration of art, creativity and culture. While the marvellous idol of Goddess Durga is the focal point, the pandals’ stunning themes stand out with their captivating stories in every corner. Each year brings a new and unique wave of creativity to make the festival engaging and eventful.

The City of Joy bursts into many fascinating and inspiring pandals in all the nooks and corners every year during pujo. From highlighting social issues such as child trafficking to stunning replicas of world landmarks, these pandals are the true reflection of Kolkata’s soul — a celebration of life.

Pandals in Kolkata have evolved into a platform for social commentary as the themes have ranged from mental health to women’s empowerment. Kolkata’s Kashi Bose Lane was one of the most visited pandals in the year 2023 for its special theme on girl trafficking. The entrance to the pandal narrated stories in every corner - from doors to crowned photos of women & girls. The colour of the pandal was red symbolising danger. Several posters and newspaper headlines were also stuck around the pandal to showcase the crime against girls. The entire pandal was dimly lit to represent darkness in the lives of lost innocence. The intricate details, the powerful message and the background music were all aimed at raising awareness of how important it is to protect and support girls and take action against unfairness. By utilising the festive space to emphasise significant social issues, these pandals become catalysts for change.

In the last few years, there has been a massive focus on environmental issues that inspired pandals across the city to highlight the importance of awareness and conservation.  One of South Kolkata’s Durga puja pandal’s themes featured a dying banyan tree that highlighted the importance of trees and nature in our lives. The banyan tree is a symbol of wisdom and strength and the representation by the artist showcased how pollution and deforestation are harming the planet. This thematic pandal aimed to inspire us to save the planet and appreciate the beauty of trees around us.

The Government of India announced the ‘National Register of Citizens’ in the year 2019 to identify the legitimacy of citizens but many people were left off this list and they feared they might be seen as illegal immigrants. This caused panic across the country and led to protests and discussions about who belongs in the country and what it means to be a legal citizen. A community Durga puja pandal themed on the condition of refugees given the panic over the National Register of Citizens (NRC), in Kolkata.

Hindustan Park Sabojanin in Kolkata made a Durga puja pandal out of rubber to celebrate the tribal communities. Tribal sculptures were bursting with life and colours. The usage of rubber is a message about recycling and utilising stuff in creatively and clever ways.

Sreebhumi Sporting Club, Kolkata is renowned for showcasing dazzling creativity every year on Durga Puja with its outstanding replicas of world landmarks as pandals. People join long queues just to take a glimpse of the mesmerising and intricately designed pandals. From Burj Khalifa to Vatican City to the Taj Mahal, the club has served some iconic and unforgettable pandals. It is a celebration of the majestic & beautiful world landmarks and also imparts a message of unity and diversity. Sreebhumi is one of the must-visit pandals for everyone to experience the creativity and art in the best way during Durga Puja in Kolkata.

At Chetla Agrani, in Kolkata, one of the Durga puja pandals stood out with a nostalgic and creative theme focused on letterboxes. The old, wooden and vintage letterboxes took people back to the good old time of letter writing. Along with this, the pandal also showcased a hand-pulled rickshaw which is one of the unique features of Kolkata. This unique pandal showcased how time is ever-changing and became one of the most-visited places during pandal hopping.