Durga Puja 2016

Durga Puja at Kolkata is one of the biggest carnivals of India, arguably of the world. With hundreds and thousands of people thronging the streets and Puja pandals, it surely can beat any other carnival worth its name by sheer number of participants. This is a photo essay of the Durga Puja of 2016, that happened in first half of October.

Broadly Durga Pujas at Kolkata belong to either of these 3 categories: 1) Puja at royal houses — the erstwhile zamindars of Kolkata still continue to perform puja and open up their palaces during the festival for lesser mortals 2) The baro-yaari/community pujas which have got the theme-puja trend for last few years and 3) The apartment Puja. We roamed around Kolkata briefly during the Puja days witnessing the festivity at the royal houses and few community pujas without getting into the 3rd category, which are mostly like private parties.

This is a photo-story of some of the Pujas that we witnessed — hope that this may induce some of you to spend next Durga Puja at Kolkata.

Different stages of making the idol — part of decoration at a pandal

Final touch to Devi Durga in progress on panchami (5th day) — the puja starts on 6th day (Shashthi) and continues till the 10th day (Dashami)

The carnival is not complete without playzones — some of the pujas (like Park Circus) are more known for the mela grounds than the puja

Festivity without selfie is incomplete — some of the pujas had arranged selfie zones as well this year

Street art

Decoration — painting, art, decor

A famous community puja

Rush within a pandal

Donation box — visitors rarely donate in the boxes

Street food at Maddox square — the dating ground since eons

Often big Pujas keep a replica of the idol for performing the real puja — rest are for show

The gathering in the evening

This Puja (Sabarna Roychoudhury, Atchala) has some historical significance. Apparently Job Charnock had signed the deal with this zamindar in this very place to get lease for East India Company doing business in Kolkata

Durga Puja at Rani Rashmoni’s house

Durga Puja at Rani Rashmoni’s house

An old house at Kolkata

Puja in progress

A lady looking over from the balcony

Aarati in progress

Aarati in progress

The other inhabitants of royal houses

Ladies of the house — notice the nose rings

Aanjali (flower offerings) in progress

A young lady looking over from balcony at the lesser mortals

The Puja of the day is almost over

A typical north kolkata old house

The royal touch

Chitchat and bonding with the family is the other side of the Puja

Interior of an old house

Beautiful lamp stand

An idol studded with real diamonds and jewelries, thanks to a jeweller sponsor

Those rare moments when the Brahmins get some importance

Beautiful wood work as part of pandals — all for 5 days

Intricate wood work — part of decoration

Sandhi Puja

Aarati in progress

Doors — theme of a pandal

Faces of Puja organizers were used as a theme in one of the Pujas

The lamps of Sandhi Puja

And as the memory of one Durga Puja fades out, we get ready for the next year

See you next year again. Have a great year ahead.

Interested to relook at my take of 2015 Durga Puja? Click here [https://medium.com/life-of-a-technologist/durga-puja-is-reaching-its-crescendo-357c2e45e151#.b3xvojsxt]

Thanks, Subhamoy