Mohammad Ali Park puja changes name to Mahabali Park
Times of India | 5 July 2026
Kolkata: Six-time BJP councillor and former deputy mayor Meena Devi Purohit has called for renaming central Kolkata’s Mohammad Ali Park as Mahabali Park.. The park has been the venue for a famous Durga Puja for over half a century.
Hoardings with the name of the puja changed to Shree Mahabali Park Durgotsav Samity have already come up outside Mohammad Ali Park with pictures of Meena Devi Purohit as the president of the Durgotsav Samiti. Earlier, it was known as Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja Committee.
Purohit made the demand while attending the khuti puja of another Durga Puja committee in Burrabazar, where she said that she had already appealed to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation commissioner to officially change the park’s name. She claimed the site was previously known as Mahabali Park before it was “renamed for political reasons”, a claim that has not been independently verified.
The renewed demand comes weeks after the BJP-led state govt renamed Suhrawardy Avenue as Gopal Mukherjee Road, a move that became the subject of political debate. The latest proposal concerning Mohammad Ali Park is yet to receive any official response from the civic authorities.
“We have appealed to the KMC commissioner to change the name of Mohammad Ali Park. It was previously known as Mahabali Park. It was later changed for political reasons. We want the authorities to officially rename it Mahabali Park,” said Purohit.
She also alleged that hoardings carrying the new name of the organising committee had been removed by unknown persons shortly after they were put up on Friday.
“We had installed hoardings with the new name, but someone pulled them down. We do not know who was responsible. We have put up the hoardings again,” said Purohit, adding that police visited the site, surveyed the area and assured the organisers of adequate security. On Saturday afternoon, a police vehicle was parked outside the park.
Purohit also criticised the condition of the park, saying it was poorly maintained when she visited on Friday. According to her, the area was in darkness because streetlights were not functioning and cleanliness was inadequate. She said she raised the matter with senior civic officials, following which the lighting problem was addressed and cleaning work was initiated.
Mohammad Ali Park was earlier known as Auckland Circus Park before being renamed after a freedom fighter. The KMC’s website mentions it as “nostalgic place associated with traditional movement against British Emperialism”.
Maniktala BJP MLA and minister Tapas Roy was recently appointed chairperson of the Mohammad Ali Park Durga Puja committee, a move seen as expanding the party’s presence in the city’s influential Durga Puja circuit while also seeking to revive one of Kolkata’s best-known community celebrations.
Seven years ago, a cave-in linked to a massive brick-lined underground British-era water reservoir rendered a substantial portion of the park unsafe, forcing organisers to organise the puja in a smaller area on the periphery of the park, limiting the scale of pandals and public access compared with previous years, when Mohammad Ali Park was among Kolkata’s major Durga Puja attractions.
As the puja committee prepares for its 58th year, the festival has not regained its earlier scale following the major structural setback at the venue. During renovation work, the Durga Puja had to be shifted away from the park for two years.
Surender Sharma, secretary of Youth Association, which organised Durga Puja at Mohammad Ali Park till last year, said their committee has been dissolved. “Our access to the park has been restricted. we will organise a separate puja elsewhere,” said Sharma. Youth Association had felicitated several BJP MLAs in May at Haryana Bhavan, including Maniktala MLA Tapas Roy, Jorasanko MLA Vijay Ojha and Chowringhee candidate Santosh Pathak.