Visit Kolkata’s AI and VR powered Durga puja pandals infusing tradition with tech

Experience the evolving digital consciousness of Durga Puja through immersive VR tours and AI-generated pandal hopping itineraries.

Durga Puja is here. Social media is abuzz with reels and photos of the grandiose theme pujas of Kolkata. Sourya Roy, an IT professional is confused with all this information coming his way. The solution? He asks ChatGpt to make him a four-day pandal hopping itinerary covering exhibits from all parts of the city. In seconds the AI (artificial intelligence) platform generates a detailed yet thoughtfully paced itinerary of pandals from North, South, East, and West Kolkata with tips on the fastest routes to take and recommendations for restaurants and food stalls that will fall on the way to the pandals. 

This year’s Durga Puja celebrations see an evolving digital consciousness where tradition converses with technology. Over the years, Durga Puja has transcended from a quaint celebration of an ancient tradition to an avant-garde celebration of art, culture, history and now technology. OpenAI, 360-degree VR (Virtual Reality) tours, high-tech 11D lighting, dynamic interactive light and sound shows, and mobile apps assisting pandal hopping have collectively transformed Durga Puja into an immersive experience. Additionally, Kolkata Police’s latest AI-enabled display boards, introduced in 2023 to show real-time waiting times outside major pandals, further enhance the festival’s technological sophistication. 

ThePujaApp is a non-profit organisation in Kolkata. They provide free-of-cost VR tours of puja pandals past and present on their portal which can be viewed through iOS and Android devices as well as the Oculus (a VR headset device). With a rich archive of 300+ past pujas, the organisation has been operational in the city for the last 13 years. 

Soumyajit Chakraborty, project manager at EY in Ireland, has lived abroad for over 15 years. The professional says, “Ever since I moved out of the country I have been using ThePujaApp. Through their easily downloadable VR tours, I have shown my friends in Ireland the magic of Durga Puja. Their tours are in 15k (15000 pixels wide) quality, making the experience very tangible. I usually access it from my iPhone and cast it on my flat-screen or pair it with my Oculus to immerse into the puja fervour.”

Founders of ThePujaApp recently invited the writer to experience Durga Puja through an Oculus. It felt like being dropped into an art installation. Through the VR glasses, the 15k high-resolution panoramas enveloped the senses, capturing every delicate brushstroke and intricate pattern inside the pandals. The towering presence of Ma Durga felt more than real. Drone shots swooped down from above, revealing the ornate pandal structures rising like celestial shrines amidst the Kolkata skyline. The sound of devotional hymns, frantic beats of the dhaak (drums) and the bustling city blended into the experience. The complete absence of crowds was the best part. As we witnessed the pandal an X-Ray screen showed the names of artists associated with its making. 

Partho Ghosh, general secretary of Shibmandir Durga Puja and a member of the Durga Puja Forum says, “Before Durga Puja, VR proficient non-profit organisations like ThePujaApp approach us to capture the essence of the pandal digitally. The high-resolution images help artists recognise nuanced mistakes in craftsmanship. This is of great help because it ensures that the final touches given to the idol and the pandal are perfect.”

Soumyaditya Mukherjee, journalist and one of the founders of ThePujaApp says, “We believe that Durga Puja is no less an immersive experience. Through our VR solution, we want to take Durga Puja to people across the globe.”