Inscribed by the United Nations Cultural Agency, UnescoIn 2021 as an element of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, Durga Puja is not only a festival, it is an act of reimagination on the scale of the city, which resonates with the Bengali diaspora and others in the world.
For a few fall nights, the city of Kolkata (and other parts of Western Bengal) has become an outdoor gallery where local communities build dazzling temporary temples or pandalsThe craftsmen of Kumartoli sculpt the goddess of the Clay river, Drummers (dhaakis) Roll the thunder in the streets and millions that walk from a dream landscape illuminated to the other.
The festivities ended on Thursday.
© A News / Rohit Upadhyay
Festival -goers visit a Durga Puja Pandal in Kolkata.
What looks like a show is in fact a community community: local clubs collect funds, families who volunteer, collaborating craftsmen and whole local economies that come to life around food, lights, music and art.
Families map their “hopping” routes, the musicians have put the rhythm, the food stands weave the city together and the city itself becomes a scene. All kinds of divisions – class, caste, ethnicity – in this city grouping millions, melt.
UNESCO recognition
Unesco recognized the Durga Puja, named after the Hindu goddess Durga, in 2021, describing it as “the best example of the public performance of religion and art, and flourishing ground for collaborative artists and designers”.
Like Tim Curtis, UNESCO representative in Indiaexplained: “He embodies the spirit of Sarbojonin -” for everyone ” – which has defined community worship since 1926. Clay sculptors with drummers, from designers to local organizers, the whole city contributes to one of the most dynamic cultural expressions in the world.”
It is a heritage not locked up in monuments but living in practice, passed to hand -to -hand by crafts, redesigned each year with new themes and binding communities through class, faith and language.
Durga Puja is also a power of the creative economy. A 2019 study estimated that the festival industries generate $ 4.53 billion and 2.58% of Western Bengal GDP.
Art with a message
For Shombi SharpUnited Nations resident coordinator in India, This year marked his first visit to the centenary pandal by showing sustainable agriculture, highlighting the broader importance of the Sustainable development objectives.
UN resident coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp visits a Pandal Durga Puja in Kolkata, India.
He said UN News“Normally, you see the goddess Durga defeat evil – here” evil “is pesticides and unsustainable agricultural practices. Behind me, a display with 280 varieties of eastern rice and northeast of India. It is 12 to 13 million visitors exposed to powerful messages on organic agriculture, biodiversity and sustainability. ”
Another title is a pandal on the theme of the AI which merges devotion with digital imagination. The Durga goddess appears in her traditional form – ten arms and a lion – while the backdrop bursts with circuit panel patterns, bright data flows and neon light.
The point is clear: faith and technology can coexist; Even in a futuristic setting.
The reactions of visitors reflect this mixture of wonder and caution. A Kolkata 30 -year -old laboratory technician, Nupur Hajara said “The more people receive positively receiving AI, the better. If they take it negatively, it won’t help – right? ”
© A News / Rohit Upadhyay
The figurines made with electronic waste is displayed in a pandal or a temple.
It Professional, Sumitam Shom explained: “Durga Puja is our largest and most special festival – and now AI is part of the conversation. It can do a lot of good, but there are also risks, especially fraud. Deep buttocks and viral images are real concerns. Without backup, someone could abuse photos and deceive people. It is therefore crucial that we used these technologies responsible. ”
Adding another emergency register, Another pandal with the theme of “Shabdo” (“sound”) Attracts attention to its poignant focus on nature’s flight sounds – chirping birds, rustling leaves, co -assisted frogs – captured through an immersive and sensory design.
A meditation on nostalgia
It was a meditation on environmental loss and nostalgia, asking what it means for the sounds of nature in a city to become quieter as habitats shrink.
Raja, a Pandal visitor, In other words, “You barely see more birds. My grandfather told me how common they were; Now they are rare – in part, we believe, due to the impacts of the mobile network. This pandal is our way of waking up the community, to learn to bring birds back and start working there together. »»
Many other pandals also echo urgent social themes. We honor the survivors of acid attacks, not only awareness, but celebrating their dignity and their contributions. Another highlights water conservation.
© A News / Rohit Upadhyay
A Pandal Puja explores the theme of bird flight noises in urban areas.
For young visitors too, messages resonate. Taa, an 18 -year -old student in a pandal dedicated to the conservation of water, reflected that “groundwater exhausts day by day. This is the best way to raise public awareness. ”
Make puja accessible to all
Durga Puja also takes a step towards inclusiveness.
In June 2025, UNESCO and No in IndiaIn collaboration with organizational organizations, has launched full accessibility directives for festival organizers.
The results are visible on the ground. The ramps and the without barrier arrangements facilitate mobility, Braille signaling and sign language interpreters broaden communication, and silent seat rooms allow people to rest.
As the UN Shombi Sharp reminded us: “We heard a father who, for the first time in 17 years, was able to bring his daughter, a wheelchair user, to celebrate Durga Puja. It was an incredibly emotional moment. ”
