As monsoon retreats and the weather cools down, a buzz spreads across Kolkata- ‘Maa ashchen‘- ‘mother is coming’. It’s as if the ‘City of Joy’ waits the whole year to welcome October again. But October itself is not as important as the festival it brings along- Durga Puja. Kolkata celebrates nothing with more fervour than the annual festival of Durga Puja. Nor have I seen any other festival as core to a culture as Durga Puja is to Kolkata.
For ten days, Durga Puja transforms Kolkata into an open- air art gallery and a cultural extravagance. From Puja Pandals to street corners, from food stalls to shopping centers, from households to offices, nothing looks ordinary. They become artful, colourful, rich and cheerful in festive vibes. Durga Puja is the throbbing heartbeat of every Bengali household.
I’m not a Bengali, but not quite far though. Hailing from Odisha, where Durga Puja is also celebrated with much enthusiasm, I know what it means. Though they celebrate Durga Puja across eastern India (Odisha- West Bengal, Assam and Chhatisgarh), nowhere it’s comparable to Kolkata in West Bengal. If you are planning to visit Kolkata during Durga Puja, here I’m sharing (from my personal experience) tips on how to have the best experience.
{For more destinations from West Bengal: Mirik Lake ||| Darjeeling- Things to do}
Durga Puja and Dussehra: Similarities and differences
Dussehra is celebrated across India, in some way or the other, more or less, but with many variations. Interestingly, most people in India use ‘Dussehra’ and ‘Durga Puja’ interchangeably. To be honest, in my younger days, I didn’t know if there was a real difference between the two festivals.
The confusion emanates from the fact that both the festivals are celebrated at the same time. During the first 10 days of Ashvin month (of Hindu lunar calendar), the festival is celebrated across India in different ways. At some places, people celebrate both the festivals simultaneously, for example, in Odisha. But there are actually lots of differences.
While Durga Puja celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahisasura, Dussehra celebrates the victory of Lord Ram over demon Ravana. Though both the festivals symbolize victory of ‘good’ over ‘evil’, the rituals and methods of celebration are quite different. However, there’s one common term for both the festivals- ‘Vijaya Dashami’ or, ‘Bijoya Dashami’ (in Bengal).
{If you want to know how Dussehra is celebrated elsewhere, check out: Kullu Dussehra}
Durga Puja in Kolkata, a quintessential Bengali festival
Durga Puja is not just another festival in Kolkata, it’s an emotion for the Bengalis. In early 17th century, it originated in Kolkata as a celebration in rich households. It remained that way for a long time before it became a public festival in the 20th century.
These public celebrations have come to be known as Barowari Durga Puja. Today, the festival has gone through a sea change with infusion of modern creativity. Though the traditional ethos and emotions continue to be the core, its ambiance and grandeur has changed remarkably. Looking at its historic significance, UNESCO has listed Durga Puja in Kolkata as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Though Durga Puja is a 10- day festival in Kolkata, the main festival is celebrated for 5 days (6th to 10th day). For one’s convenience, here’s a break up of the 10 days of the festival.
A break- up of the 10- day festival:
- Day-1: Mahalaya- the first day of the celebrations begin early in the morning, even before sunrise with a recitation of sacred verses.
- Day-2 to 5: Slowly and gradually, artisans put finishing touches to the clay- idols of Goddess Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Organizers decorate Puja pandals and get ready to welcome devotees for worshipping.
- Day-6: Maha- Shashthi. On this day, the actual worshipping of the idols begin with symbolic opening of eyes of the clay- idols. The ritual is called ‘Bodhon’ or awakening.
- Day-7: Maha- Saptami. The day starts with Nabapatrika Snan. In an interesting ritual, a bundle of nine different plants wrapped around a banana plant representing a young bride (kala bou), is taken to a nearby water body for a ritual bath.
- Day-8: Maha- Ashtami. On this day, the festival reaches its spiritual peak; devotees fast all day till pushpanjali (flower offering) in the evening. Two more important rituals also happen- Kumari Puja (worshipping young girls as manifestation of Durga) and Sandhi Puja (the transition from day-8 to day-9).
- Day-9: Maha- Navami. On the 9th day, homa yajna (fire ritual) is the highlight of the day and dhunuchi dance (with smoking clay pots) in the evening.
- Day-10: Bijoya Dashami. On the morning of 10th day, married women apply vermilion (Sindoor Khela) on the idols and on each other. At the fag end of the celebrations, it’s time to bid goodbye to the Goddess in a ritual called Visarjan/ Bisharjan. Devotees take out the idols in a grand procession and immerse them in waterbodies.
Durga Puja in Kolkata: How to have the best experience
Puja pandal hopping, experiencing the traditional rituals and savoring good food are among the quintessential things to do in Kolkata during Durga Puja. As per estimates, more than 3000 pandals come up in Kolkata. Though some of these are heritage pandals, most of them are set up by local residential colonies. Now-a-days, big budget theme- based huge pandals are a big draw among visitors.
However, owing to the sheer size of Kolkata and heavy traffic, it’s not feasible for one to cover all the popular pandals in Kolkata. So, for the best Durga Puja experience in Kolkata, one should be choosy.
Depending on what kind of Durga Puja experience you want to have, you can plan your visit to Kolkata. To have the best experience of Durga Puja in Kolkata, you should know basically three things- where to go, when to go and which experiences you must not miss. Here are the answers to all these questions.
Choose your zone:
For one’s convenience, let’s divide Kolkata into three zones- north zone, central zone and south zone. Each of these zones has its own specialty and significance.
- North/ East Zone: This is where one finds most of the heritage Durga Puja pandals of Kolkata. Popular spots include Baghbazar Sarbojanin (one of the oldest), Kumartuli Park, Sovabazar Rajbari, Dum Dum Park and Sreebhumi.
- Central Zone: This zone draws huge numbers of visitors for its theme- based architectural replicas and illumination over water bodies. Among the hotspots are: College Square, Mohammed Ali Park and Santosh Mitra Square.
- South Zone: In this zone, expect spectacular art installations and extraordinarily creative structures. For a walking tour of the major pandals, you can plan the route this way: Chetla Agrani Club- Ekdalia Evergreen- Badamtala Ashar Sangha.
- Among the above three zones, north zone is my favorite for its heritage value. Plus, the art installations in Dum Dum Park are as impressive as any other.
Choose your time:
Are you a morning- person or a night- person? Do you like crowd or do you enjoy peace? Do you want to appreciate the art work at leisure or get dazzled by the shine of the illumination? To choose your time, you need to answer these questions for yourself. Here are three major time zones for one to consider.
- Early morning, 4 AM- 9 AM: To have the best spiritual experience of Durga Puja in Kolkata, early morning hours are the best times. Because not many people visit during this time. One can sit down and witness the rituals or leisurely observe the art works.
- Day time, 9 AM- 7 PM: Since there’s not much action during the day time, pandals remain low- key. Though one can have a crowd- free time, the spiritual vibes would be missing.
- Evening/ Night, 7 PM- 4 AM: In the evening, when lights come up, the atmosphere becomes electric. Thousands of visitors throng the pandals. So, if you want to have the best Durga Puja experience with the decorations and crowd, late evenings through the night are the best times.
Best experiences not to miss:
While deciding about the visit- timing, one crucial factor remains- which Durga Puja experiences one must not miss in Kolkata. Here are a few to note down.
- On the first day (Mahalaya) itself, head to Kumartuli artisans’ village to witness ‘Chokkhu Daan‘ (opening of the eyes of the idols) ritual.
- To witness the original traditional puja, visit at least one ancestral site like Sovabazar Rajbari.
- On the evening/ night of 8th day when it transitions into the 9th day, one must experience the Sandhi Puja and Dhunuchi Naach. For the best experience, one can visit Maddox Square for this.
- On the 10th day, one must experience two things- Sindoor Khela in the morning and Bisharjan procession in the evening.
- One big part of having the best experience of Durga Puja in Kolkata is definitely the food experience. Try quintessential Kolkata food like Phuchka, Jhal-Muri, Ghuguni, Kasha Mangsho, Mishti Doi and Rasagolla. (More tips below)
Travel Tips: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How many days to plan:
In order to have the best Durga Puja experience in Kolkata, I would suggest having at least two days on hand. However, 3 to 4 days would be ideal to explore some of the best places in Kolkata as well.
How to reach Kolkata:
Since it’s a metro city, all options are open to one. Choose your flight, train or bus option, as per your budget.
Where to stay in Kolkata during Durga Puja:
Both from logistics and Durga Puja experience points of view, Park Street/ Esplanade area in central Kolkata is the best area to stay in Kolkata during Durga Puja. Since it sits directly on the north- south metro line, conveyance becomes really easy.
Some budget hotel suggestions in central Kolkata area: The Aster Heritage ||| Hotel Park Victoria ||| RR Guesthouse ||| Hotel Sunview ||| Fab Hotel Hill Fort ||| Hotel Radiant ||| Hotel Great Western.
How to get around in Kolkata during Durga Puja:
- Kolkata Metro is the best option to commute between places during Durga Puja. Because during this period, metro trains operate till very late into the nights.
- The next best option would be auto-rickshaws/ cycle rickshaws for shorter distances.
- Since Durga Puja sees heavy traffic, cabs are not the best choice, but you may go for them for comfort, or if time is not a concern for you.
What/ Where to eat during Durga puja:
- For special Durga Puja food, visit Kolkata Rajbari (Ballygunge) ||| 6 Ballygunje Place ||| Kasturi (Khudiram Bose Road).
- For street food, look for: Decker’s lane ||| Kusum Rolls ||| Nizam’s (Katho roll) ||| Russell Street Puchkawala
- Bengali sweets: Shree Hari Mistanna Bhandar ||| Ganguram Sweets ||| Balram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick.
{For more information on food, check out: Kolkata Durga Puja Food Trail}
General miscellaneous tips:
- Be mentally ready to walk. At the minimum, one would have to walk 10,000- 20,000 steps a day for pandal hopping.
- Durga Puja Passes: If you want to skip the long queues to enter Puja pandals, you can buy passes online (for ~ Rs. 1000). (check Bookmyshow or other such platforms).
- Book your hotels and flights/ trains much in advance.
- Beware of pickpockets; don’t wear or keep any valuables while visiting puja pandals.
- While one must have good food, go for only reputed eateries/ restaurants.
- Please keep in mind that there might be stampede-like situation. So, if you are not fit enough, don’t venture out during peak rush hours.
Concluding Thoughts
Durga Puja in Kolkata is among the most beautiful and popular cultural experiences one can have in India. Being from eastern India myself, it’s but obvious that I have lovely memories of Durga Puja, both from my own state and also from Kolkata. But the vibes of Kolkata during Durga Puja is unparallel. Kolkata retains most of its authentic traditional flavour while gradually bring in the modern day aesthetics.
Hence, I would highly recommend you to at least once experience this cultural extravaganza. Yes, it can be overwhelming to a large extent. But what is Durga Puja if it’s dull!
I hope you liked this guide on how to have the best experience of Durga Puja in Kolkata. For more such information, you may contact us.
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