Puja Carnival to go beyond Red Road this year, over 90 clubs to join grand celebration
Times of India | 10 October 2024
Kolkata: The 2024 Puja Carnival, set for Oct 15, is gearing up to be larger than ever, with expanded spectator galleries stretching beyond the iconic Red Road. In response to overwhelming demand for passes, the West Bengal govt has extended the carnival zone to include Kidderpore Road and Hospital Road, ensuring more people can witness the vibrant festivities.
With new venues and enhanced accessibility, the 2024 Puja Carnival is set to surpass previous years in both scale and spectacle, offering a fitting finale to this year’s Durga Puja festivities.
This year’s carnival will coincide with the final day of Durga Puja immersions, with Lakshmi Puja on Oct 16. Over 90 selected Durga Puja committees will participate in the grand procession, showcasing their idols and performances before an audience that includes CM Mamata Banerjee, senior bureaucrats, and dignitaries from India and abroad.
The govt has installed high-speed internet services to facilitate live broadcasting of the event. This will allow people from around the world to enjoy the spectacle in real-time, further boosting the festival’s international profile, said a PWD officer supervising the preparations.
Mayor Firhad Hakim on Wednesday began inspection of the city’s major ghats along the Hooghly to ensure that the immersion process is smooth.
Hakim inspected Nimtolla ghat along with municipal commissioner Dhaval Jain and Kolkata Port Trust Authority officials. This ghat is a major immersion ghat where idols from across north Kolkata and Salt Lake-Lake Town belt are brought for immersion.
Similarly, the KMC parks and civil engineering departments are keeping a close eye on Bajekadamtolla ghat (Babughat), Prinsep Ghat and Doighat (Kidderpore).