The Famous Durga Pooja of Kolkala

Ever wondered, why some festivals are famous for a particular city.

As per Wikipedia, "A festival is a special occasion of feasting or celebration, usually with a religious focus. Aside from religion, and sometimes folklore, another significant origin is agricultural. Food (and consequently agriculture) is so vital that many festivals are associated with harvest time."

Ever thought there is a city of festivals also? Yes. There is a city of festivals - Madhurai. Madurai is called the city of temples and festivals. Madurai is 10 hours from Chennai which is the capital city of Tamil Nadu. More than a 100 temples can be found in and around Madurai. In ancient times, Madurai was the capital of Pandya Dynasty. The kings of Pandya dynasty were very interested in development of Tamil literature and architectures. So for anyone who is passionate about beautiful sculptures, Madurai is the best place one should visit. Some of the famous temples in and around Madurai are Madurai Meenakshi Temple, Alagar Temple, Ellaimman Temple, etc. Madurai is also special for its food. Some of the best restaurants in Madurai are Hotel Amsavalli, Meenakshi Bhavan, Arya Bhavan, Hotel Taj, etc. As i said Madurai is the city of festivals, there are lots of celebration in the city. The best time to visit Madurai are the months of January to June.

Just like Madurai is famous religious place and hence most of the religious festivals are celebratd here. Similarly, Kolkata is known for its Grandly celebrated Durga pooja. Kolkata is also known as the city of Joy.

Durga Puja, held in September–October, is Kolkata's most important and largest festival -  it is an occasion for glamorous celebrations and artistic decorations. The Puja fever grips the heart of everyone in the city regardless of age, caste, class or gender. The entire state of West Bengal welcomes Goddess Durga and her children, along with the mighty demon Mahishasura, with open arms and hearts filled with incomprehensible emotions of togetherness.

The highlight of Durga Puja is no doubt visiting the many different displays (pandals) of Goddess Durga, each with a unique theme or decorative style. This activity is commonly referred to a "pandal hopping".The Kolkata streets constantly witness waves of darshanarthis or 'pandal-hopping pilgrims' dressed in the best possible way they can.

Pandal a temporary temple that houses Maa Durga and her children and where the pujas are held. There is competition every year on pandal making. and hence many Bengalis participate in the Pandal making. The Bengali's work year long to get the best pandal prize.

The most popular time for pandal hopping is in the night when they're lit up. Here i'm sharing some of my experience by the pics of the best pandals during the durga pooja i had experienced in 2018.

It has always been amazing to see how craftsmen shape the fantastic pandals (temporary marquees housing Maa Durga and her family) with bamboo, canvas and coloured cloth; there is no construction, imaginary or real, that they cannot give shape to. With the explosion of themes and the entry of artists and art school students, the pandals and the idols are cast from various things. The result? Kolkata turns into a virtual walk-through gallery. You will find large crowds moving across the city, enjoying the various pandals and their decorations.

A Pandal made up of Lanterns.

A Pandal made up of diffusers

Get ready for most jaw to drop at the vibrant colours with a theme of Modernism – a boon or a curse. At a time when rapid urbanisation has pushed Nature into the backseat, Devi Durga is arriving to restore the ecological balance.

Tridhara - A pandal with Scary and imaginary theme.

Several cultural programs are conducted on the Santhali culture of the state during the four days of Puja that has caught the attention enthusiast Puja loving crowd.

A Pandal made with Cane Baskets

A Pandal made up of Flower buds.

Decked up in what is considered to be her traditional outfit, the color schemes and intricate designs have played an important role in making it into such a wonderful work of art.

A Pandal made with fairy lights and sacred thread Kalava.

What’s even cooler is the fact that the Durga Idol here has overhauled the traditional and orthodox look and has settled for a more contemporary and modern look, complete with cold and dead serious eyes!

The entire area is illuminated with light during this time for the grand festival. The crowd flocks to this pandal break its own record every year. People come to see the sparkling lights works of the pandal and its mirror reflection on the lake water.

A Pandal made with Fancy Lights 

Boasting of a huge Lord Shiva idol, the theme this year is destruction & construction. It is believed that Lord Shiva took poison to save mankind and hence is the center of attraction for this theme.

A Pandal made up of hands

The Goddess of power and courage gleams in copper. #Masterpiece!

#Masterpiece!

A mesmerising view of 100 diya lit up on the 8 days long festival of durg pooja. A pandal decorated with kapoor lighting on coconut shells.

They celebrate Durga Puja with unparalleled enthusiasm. The Durga idol in the pandal is always elegant and spectacular.

Looks like an ancient art

A Pandal made up from rubber Mat

More than 250 years old, the Sovabazar Raj Barir Puja was started by Raja Nabakrishna Deb. Back in 1757 when the Durga Puja was started, even the Britishes used to come to adorn the whole ceremony. Till date, its complete pomp and show remains the same, and the puja is still celebrated with extreme enthusiasm. The specialty of this traditional family puja is that the they observe the “Mithaai Bhog” which comprises sweets placed in a ‘big thal’ (radius 3.5 feet) and offering them to Durga Maa. Mithaiwalas come all the way from Odisha bringing lip-smacking sweets for this customary offering.

In the whole cheer of this family celebration of Durga Puja in Kolkata, there is a lot that will catch your attention. The beautifully decorated Thakur dalan (courtyard), and the painted backdrop behind the Durga idol, which depicts the story of Devi and her incarnations, are simply stunning. Also, the Ved path is an important part of the puja.

The ancient Durga Puja rituals have been kept intact and followed with much dedication. Till date these house pujas see a number of devotees coming and being a part of the celebration from different parts of the city.

This is one of those pandals which portrays a blast of colors and lights, making the entire ambiance all the more special. The abstract and somewhat off-beat theme which is at display here has blended perfectly with the color palette and added to the amazing experience of visiting this place.

Pandal looks like Mysore palace, Mysore

The Durga Pratima is immensely beautiful in its red and white attire. The white stone jewellery of the idol makes it look absolutely stunning. This Puja Pandal has remained on the list of must watch this year for every pandal hopper.

A pandal decorated with Diya (Lamps)

Amazing theme of lights and Coirs surrounded with kalava

You can get the best cultural experience during the Durga pooja time by Dhunochi Nritya and Dhaaki Nach. These are the traditional dance forms to Durga Puja. It is usually performed by men holding a clay pot that is filled with burning incense sticks and coconut husk on the beats of drums. Pandal Hopping is famous in Kolkata. During this festival, peoples join in the groups to see the goddess Durga and Pandal decorations. Though Pandal hopping seems exhilarating and full of excitement, walking through the hundreds and thousands of people at night is not so easy.

A pub or a Pandal ? A pandal with a theme of Garden of bay, Singapore

A Pandal made up of cotton Thread rolls

 Kashi Bose Lane Durga Puja Committee of North Kolkata has themed ‘How music resonates in our lives and surroundings’ for this year. They have turned to the theme of music, which is the soul of the state. The Puja Pandal aims to reach out to the soul of music and spread it across the universe.

A Pandal made up of cane baskets

Pandal surfing is just a part of the celebration. You can visit artisans to watch them create these grand idols. The day on which the eyes of the idols are drawn is celebrated with rituals. You can buy your own Durga deity as a souvenir from the masters. The markets will be filled with souvenirs and rituals articles. Try to have some shopping experience in the street shops. Best place to visit is the stalls near major temples.

A pandal decorated by ladders and ancient wooden slippers

Looks like a scene from Happy Potter isn't it ? A pandal decorated with lanterns.

Streets of Kolkata

With advanced technology, the illumination has gone up several notches and even if you are not quite religious, you might still venture out in the streets to see these 'light' paintings all across town.

The spacious Jodhpur Park pandal is one of the biggest in south Kolkata. Its themes have been vast and varied, with some years more traditional than others. In 2014, it went hi-tech. The idol was created out of biodegradable materials by a 3D printer, which makes three dimensional solid objects from a digital file. It was the first of its kind in the world.

A clay Pandal.

A Pandal with womb theme.

Rather than fight the crowd, I let myself be gently led from one pandal to another and was never disappointed by where the blob took me. The energy was enormous. After a full 13 hours of pandal hopping, I felt like I finally understood the festival that was once such an enigma to me and during the immersion of the idols in the Hoogley River two days later, couldn’t help but feel a little sad to see Maa Durga go.