• 113 pujas ready to dazzle as carnival promises a spectacular show on Red Rd
    Times of India | 5 October 2025
  • Kolkata: The city is poised for a spectacular Sunday as the city gears up for the annual Durga Puja Carnival on Red Road. From high-energy dance troupes to pulsating performances, nearly 113 puja committees are preparing to dazzle crowds with a kaleidoscope of music, colour, and dance.

    Organisers are pulling out all the stops, blending professional performers with local talent, as Kolkata bids goodbye to the goddess.

    Functionaries at Ballygunge Cultural plan to stir up a storm at the carnival with a performance by a group of percussionists from outside the state. "We did not want to do another dance performance. Instead, we will present a musical performance with beats that will be so vibrant that it will set the Red Road on fire," said architect Anjan Ukil, the secretary of the puja committee.

    With nearly 113 Durga Pujas to perform at the carnival, each puja committee has been asked to restrict the performance before the chief minister's dais to 1.5 minutes.

    Several puja committees, including Chetla Agrani, Suruchi Sangha, and Tridhara, will have dancers performing to their respective theme songs. "MLA and MMiC Debashis Kumar's daughter Devlina Kumar and her students will perform," said Gargi Mukhopadhyay of Tridhara Akalbodhan.

    While several puja committees like Hatibagan Sarbojanin will hire professional dance troupes to perform at the carnival, others like Behala Natun Dal are tapping into dance schools and dance practitioners from the neighbourhood to make the presentation on Sunday.

    At Thakurpukur SB Park Sarbojanin, secretary Sanjay Majumdar has been supervising the preparations. "Many of our young members are excited to participate in the carnival.

    For many of them, it is their first time. We prepared a special performance," he said, while young dancers rehearsed intricate dance steps. At Sreebhumi Sporting Club, organisers are juggling multiple events. They will return to Sreebhumi after the carnival for another round of celebration before the immersion.

    "It is one of the grandest farewells to Durga anywhere in the state," said DK Goswami, secretary, overseeing a troupe practising synchronised movements.

    "We will bid a final farewell to Durga after a procession in our area."

    Meanwhile, Chorbagan Sarbojonin members are preparing for a shobhayatra, with nearly 100 participants coordinating their colour-coded attire. "There will be colour-coordinated attire for the members," says Jayanta Banerjee, a member of the organising committee. At Mohammad Ali Park, the performers have been rehearsing for a performance on Navadurga.

    "Our dance troupe has been rehearsing for the special performance since Friday," explains joint secretary Ashok Ojha.

    Veteran Bollywood actor Meenakshi Sheshadri will be performing on a song penned by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. She will be representing the Durga Puja committee at Bodyguard Lines.

    Senior officials and ministers visited Red Road on Saturday to take stock of the preparations. Pavilions have come up on either side for the guests. Since it is a Sunday, the administration expects a bigger turnout. "The arrangements have been made keeping in mind a bigger turnout. We are expecting people from the neighbouring areas of Kolkata too," said a cop on duty on Red Road. Large screens have been put up in several parts of the city where the proceedings will be shown live.

    Chief secretary Manoj Pant went to Red Road on Saturday to take stock of the preparations. He also enquired about the sitting arrangement and crowd management plans in case it rains during the event.

    (With inputs from

    Debashis Konar)
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