More than a cultural festival, Durga Puja is an emotion. It is homecoming. It is when your heart yearns to return home, irrespective of which part of the world you reside in. During the vibrant celebration of Durga Puja in Kolkata, booking a Kolkata car rental is an excellent idea to effortlessly visit the various pandals and enjoy the grand festivities across the city.
It is when the air starts to smell differently. It is when your house-help asks for a Puja bonus in subtle, clever ways. It is when a father saves up all year to buy his children a new pair of shoes and clothes for pandal hopping. It is when streets are lined with chaat, puchka, fast food stalls, and you are spoiled with choices. It is when you finally get to catch up with people you haven’t seen all year. And if you are lucky, you may even find love.
Explore the festivities with our reliable Kolkata taxi services offering seamless travel options.
Durga Puja 2024 news has already started doing the rounds and everyone in Bengal is grappling with the same question – “how will Durga Puja be organized in the middle of a pandemic!” Otherwise crowded and bubbling with life; Kumartuli, the famous potter’s colony on the banks of the river Hooghly in north Kolkata looks unusually quiet and deserted this year. As Kolkatans say, “it is, in fact, the crowd at Kumartuli that symbolizes the arrival of Maa in the state.”
Durga Puja 2024
Durga Puja 2024 dates start from Wed, 9 Oct, to Sun, 13 Oct in West Bengal. Pandal committees in Kolkata have been considering various possibilities – some bizarre, some unrealistic – to contain the spread of the virus during the festival. The glorifying themes, exuberant decorations and craft and lights are back!
This year, Durga Puja 2024 in West Bengal will focus more on the idols than the pandals. Since remunerations are less, smaller artists and local cottage industry will be preferred this year to keep the spirit of the festival alive and at the same time taking care of the livelihood of the worst affected in society.
And if you are still not convinced, this is exactly how Durga Puja was celebrated some 100 years ago. In the truest sense of the term, you can witness the actual Bengali Durga Puja without any modern versions of its celebration.
What not to miss this year
The 300-year old Shobhabazar Raj Bari, Maddox Square Park, and the Ballygunge Cultural Association are some of the places you should not miss this year. The Mithai Bhog at the Raj Bari – a ritual offering to the Goddess with a life-size platter of sweets of all shapes, sizes, and flavors prepared specially by confectioners from the remote villages of Odisha is a must-have. Look out for Dhunuchi Naach performances by the community women of Maddox Square Park this year.
Savaari Recommends: Some of the best pandals that you must visit during Durga Puja in Kolkata in 2024
- Santosh Mitra Square
- Bagbazar
- College Square
- Hindustan Park
- Hindustan Club
- Samaj Sebi Sangha
- Ballygunge Cultural Association Puja Pandal
- Deshapriya Park
- Kumartuli Park
- Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgotsav
- Singhi Park Sarbojanin Durgotsab
- Mudiali Club
- Tridhara Sammilani Puja
- Shib Mandir Sarbajanin Durgatsab
- Bosepukur Sitala Mandir
- Naktala Udayan Sangha Puja
- Babubagan Club Sarbojanin Durga Puja
- Badamtala Ashar Sangha
- Suruchi Sangha
- Jodhpur Park Puja Pandal
A quick getaway this year, maybe
How about a road trip to the interesting places nearby which you wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to explore! What better way to make memories than travel? Let Savaari Car Rentals give you and your family a unique opportunity to make the festival extra special.
Last Updated on August 5, 2024 by Shabari Shankar
