India West Bengal Kolkata Photo Feature: 25 Pictures of Durga Puja in Kolkata By Sharell Cook Sharell Cook Facebook Instagram Twitter Sharell Cook lives in Mumbai full-time and has been writing about India travel for TripSavvy since 2008. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 06/26/19 Share Pin Email RNMitra/Getty Images Durga Puja is the biggest and most important occasion of the year in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal. The festival sees huge, elaborately-crafted statutes of Goddess Durga installed in homes and lavishly decorated podiums (called pandals) all over the city. At the end of the festival, the statutes are paraded through the streets, accompanied by much music and dancing, and then immersed in the Hooghly River (a distributary of the Ganges River in Kolkata). The magnificence of the festival, from start to end, is revealed in these Durga Puja pictures. 01 of 24 Making Goddess Durga Tuul and Bruno Morandi/Getty Images The majority of Durga idols are crafted in Kumartuli in north Kolkata, around 30 minutes drive from the city center. The name literally means "potter's locality" and as it suggests, the area was settled by a group of potters. You can go to the workshops and see the idols being made. Continue to 2 of 24 below. 02 of 24 Drawing the Eyes on Durga @Arranyaimaging014/Getty Images The eyes are drawn on the idols of Goddess Durga during a special ritual called Chokkhu Daan. This is performed on Mahalaya, about a week before the start of the Durga Puja festival. The Goddess is invited to come to earth on this day. Continue to 3 of 24 below. 03 of 24 Installing the Durga Idols Frédéric Soltan / Contributor/Getty Images Depending on their size, the idols are transported on special trolleys and in trucks to be installed. Continue to 4 of 24 below. 04 of 24 Durga Puja Pandals RNMitra/Getty Images There are thousands of pandals in Kolkata and each has a different theme. Some maintain traditional displays, while others are contemporary. The one pictured here has a traditional design. A highlight of the Durga Puja is visiting all the different pandals (known as pandal hopping). Continue to 5 of 24 below. 05 of 24 Traditional Durga Idol India Photography/Getty Images Durga is depicted with her four children, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Saraswati, and Lakshmi. Traditional Durga idols are decorated with plenty of ornaments and bling. Continue to 6 of 24 below. 06 of 24 Durga Idol Close-Up Soumen Nath Photography/Getty Images The idols are intricately and thoughtfully crafted in great detail. Continue to 7 of 24 below. 07 of 24 Durga Puja Pandal Exterior RNMitra/Getty Images The exterior of the pandal is a big attraction. Continue to 8 of 24 below. 08 of 24 Contemporary Themes RNMitra/Getty Images The trend for contemporary themes is growing, with organizers competing to draw the crowds. A lot of effort is put into the decorations. Continue to 9 of 24 below. 09 of 24 Huge Crowds RNMitra/Getty Images Expect huge crowds at the most popular Durga Puja pandals. Continue to 10 of 24 below. 10 of 24 World's Biggest Durga Idol RNMitra/Getty Images Some pandals aim to craft the biggest Durga idol. This one stands 70 feet tall. Continue to 11 of 24 below. 11 of 24 Contemporary Durga Idol Jagdish Agarwal/Getty Images Contemporary Durga idols are crafted in different styles, typically without the rich decorations that the traditional idols have. Continue to 12 of 24 below. 12 of 24 Themes Focused on Regional Culture Jagdish Agarwal/Getty Images. Regional culture is a popular Durga Puja theme, with many of the pandals decorated with various styles of folk art. Continue to 13 of 24 below. 13 of 24 Lighting and Special Effects NurPhoto / Contributor/Getty Images Other pandals use high-tech lighting and special effects to woo the crowds. Continue to 14 of 24 below. 14 of 24 Eye-Catching Decorations tapasbiswasphotography/Getty Images The decorations can be as eye-catching as the idols. Continue to 15 of 24 below. 15 of 24 Spectacular Displays RNMitra/Getty Images No matter what the theme, it's always exciting to enter the pandals and be enthralled by the mesmerizing displays. Continue to 16 of 24 below. 16 of 24 Bonedi Bari Pujas suman roychoudhury / Contributor/Getty Images Traditional "Bonedi Bari" pujas are held in the city's palatial old private mansions. The mansions belong to affluent aristocratic zamindar (landowner) families who have been carrying on the pujas for centuries. They're spread out across Kolkata (as well as other major towns in Bengal). Two of the most famous ones are Sovabazar Raj Bari and Rani Rashmoni Bari. Continue to 17 of 24 below. 17 of 24 Seeking Durga's Blessing Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images. Devotees, especially women, come to seek Goddess Durga's blessing during the festival. Continue to 18 of 24 below. 18 of 24 Durga Puja Worship and Rituals Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images At certain times of the day, pandits (Hindu priests) perform aarti ceremonies (worship with fire) for the Goddess. These are popularly attended by devotees. Worship is concluded with a maha aarti (great fire ceremony), which marks the end of the important rituals and prayers. Continue to 19 of 24 below. 19 of 24 Performing the Dhunuchi Dance Shivang Mehta/Getty Images A popular part of Durga Puja rituals is the performance, by devotees, of the Dhunuchi dance in front of the Goddess. This is done with a clay pot (a dhunuchi) filled with a smoking mixture of camphor, incense and coconut husk. The dance is accompanied by traditional drums and drummers. Continue to 20 of 24 below. 20 of 24 Sindoor Khela Ritual Subhendu Sarkar / Getty Images On the last day of the festival, Goddess Durga returns to her husband's abode and the statutes are taken for immersion. Married women offer red vermillion powder (sindoor) to the Goddess and smear themselves with it (this powder denotes the status of marriage, and hence fertility and bearing of children). This ritual is known as Sindoor Khela. Continue to 21 of 24 below. 21 of 24 A Final Goodbye ajijchan/Getty Images Devotees pray and dance in front of the Durga idols before the idol is taken for immersion. Continue to 22 of 24 below. 22 of 24 The End of the Durga Puja Festival Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images At the conclusion of the festival, after worship has been completed, the idols of Goddess Durga are taken out in procession and immersed in the Hooghly River. Continue to 23 of 24 below. 23 of 24 Durga Immersion Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images After the immersion process, low-caste men stand in the river and ensure that the thousands of Durga idols make their way down the river safely. They will stand there in the water for hours upon hours, pushing the statues along into the current. For their trouble they are allowed to remove any remaining valuables from the idols, such as bracelets and plastic jewels. Continue to 24 of 24 below. 24 of 24 Environmental Pollution Tuul & Bruno Morandi/Getty Images Unfortunately, pollution is a big concern following the festival. Although many Durga idols are made out of clay, they are covered in toxic paint and their decorations are non-biodegradable. This clogs the river where the idols have been immersed. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit