Plan Your Durga Puja 2022 Pandal Hopping In Kolkata – TravelDine

Kolkata News
Now that the city’s Durga Puja is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, this year the celebrations are getting more spectacular than ever before.

Durga Puja contributes significantly to Bengal’s economic growth along with honouring the might of the shakti. A marriage of different cultures, religions, and sects, the grand carnival that is Durga Puja, speaks of harmony and secularism like no other. The unfettered merrymaking in Kolkata is a tribute to art, culture, and of course, food. With five days of worship, come five days of feasting.

Kolkata’s Durga Puja dates back centuries and is the biggest cultural pride of Bengal. From celebrations in heritage homes to large-scale installations in larger pavilions, ‘Pujo’ has witnessed a staggering evolution. There is a reason why the celebration lures people from all over the country into the city of joy for these five days. If you want to be a part of this mesmerising spectacle, you can plan your Durga Puja chronicle around these five famous pandals.

Sreebhumi Sporting Club

Last year’s majestic recreation of the Burj Khalifa. Image: Courtesy Sreebhumi Sporting Club.

One of the grandest Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata, Sreebhumi Sporting Club is renowned for creating stunning vistas every year. Last year, their theme was Burj Khalifa. In 2022, they seek to take the bar a notch higher as Sreebhumi Sporting Club’s theme this year is Vatican City. 2022 is also the club’s golden jubilee, which coincides with the gilded dome and baroque façade of the Vatican’s St Peter’s Basilica and the pavilion adjacent to the Sistine Chapel.

Why: It has already created quite a stir as people gear up to be awed by a temporary replica of the world’s largest church and interiors painted by 100 Bengali artists who have mimicked the styles and techniques of the likes of Michelangelo, Bernini, and Da Vinci.

Where: Canal Street, PS Sreebhumi, Lake Town.

Santosh Mitra Square

One of the most spectacular Durga Puja pandals of Kolkata, Santosh Mitra Square is known for its exquisite artwork and gorgeous pandal façade. Established in 1936 as the Sealdah Sharbojonin Durgotsav, it is one of the oldest Durga Puja committees committed to celebrating the five joyous days with much pomp and splendour, adhering to traditional ways.

Durga pujo, indian festival, kolkata
The Red Fort under construction at Bowbazaar for this year’s pandal! Image: Courtesy Santosh Mitra Square.

Why: In 2019, they stunned the world with a mesmerising idol made of 50 kilos of gold, costing about Rs 20 crore. This year, the club is going to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence in their own special way. They will recreate Delhi’s Red Fort, Parliament, and India Gate in the middle of Kolkata’s Bowbazar, bringing a flavour of ‘Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Visit Sealdah’s glorious Pujo pandal to see how a Hindu deity is worshipped inside a Mughal fort, as art takes centrestage.

Where: Natabar Dutta Row Road, Lebutala, Bowbazar, near Sealdah.

Badamtala Ashar Sangha

One of the pioneers of theme-based Durga Puja has been Badamtala Ashar Sangha, creating innovative pandals and idols each year that entice and enthrall Kolkatans and visitors alike. This year, they seek to showcase the cycle of life, its different phases and the legacy one leaves behind for the next generation.

Durga pujo, indian festival, kolkata
Beautiful figurines at Badamtala. Image: Courtesy Badamtala Ashar Sangha.

Why: Badamtala’s heavy and heady themes promise to pique the interest of intellectuals and artsy souls. This year, besides their larger theme, they have taken an initiative to educate people on the perils of pollution and on ways to combat them. So, if you are around Badamtala Ashar Sangha during Pujo, be prepared to come home with some extra knowledge you didn’t realise would capture your imagination.

Where: Nepal Bhattacharya Street, Anami Sangha, Kalighat.

Ekdalia Evergreen

One of the regular award winners of Kolkata Durga Puja, Ekdalia Evergreen is coveted for its simplicity of themes, pandals, and artistic representation of Durga over the years.

Durga pujo, indian festival, kolkata
History and harmony at Ekdalia. Image: Courtesy Ekdalia Evergreen.

Why: Established in 1943, this club is set to celebrate 80 years of Pujo, with a firm belief that theme or not, the essence of the festival comes from the communal harmony the celebration brings about.

Where: Ekdalia, Ballygunge.

Suruchi Sangha

One of Kolkata’s most prominent Durga Puja pandals, it has depicted many important themes over the years. Suruchi Sangha is also an award-winning club whose theme for this year is Prithibi Abar Shanto Hobe, or ‘The world will be at peace again’.

Durga pujo, indian festival, kolkata
The victory of good over evil is depicted in many ways. Image: Courtesy Suruchi Sangha.

Why: The theme is carefully selected as an illustration of human lives after two years of the pandemic, where the world went all topsy-turvy and human life was as fragile as glass. Visit Suruchi Sangha’s inventive pandal this year if you want an optimistic soul soup.

Where: Station Road, Block M, New Alipore.

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