And it's that time of the year again for us Bengalis. Durga Puja, our biggest festival — and one of the grandest in the world — is here. (Don't know much about it? Read my post
here to know what Durga Puja is all about.) There are three more days to go before Durga Puja officially begins. But in Kolkata, the festivities have already started. Here are glimpses of some of the most popular — and some not-so-popular — community celebrations in south Kolkata.
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| This is the star attraction this year. The 88.5-foot idol of Deshapriya Park is the tallest in the world |
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| Look at the tiny heads below and you'll have an idea of its size |
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| Badamtala Aasharh Sangha has brought a slice of Rajasthan to Kolkata |
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| The decor at Badamtala Aasharh Sangha |
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| The decor at Badamtala Aasharh Sangha |
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| The idol (inside) at Badamtala |
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| The decor at Badamtala's neighbour, 66 Palli |
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| 66 Palli's theme is Santhal (an Indian tribe) culture |
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| The idol at 66 Palli |
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| The 66 Palli idol |
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| Illumination on the way |
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| A traditional idol at a not-so-known community puja |
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| There are hundreds of such not-so-popular pujas across the city |
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| At every nook and corner, you'll find a 'pandal' like this |
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| Another nice piece of work I found on the way |
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| Taj Mahal comes to Kolkata |
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I hadn't exaggerated when I had said in my earlier post that the entire city is illuminated.
This is just a nondescript lane. Look how it has been decorated |
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| Mudiali Club, one of the eternal stars |
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| The idol at Mudiali |
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| Mudiali's neighbour Shib Mandir has based its theme on the Bengali almanac |
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| The Shib Mandir decor |
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| Shib Mandir idol |
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| Tridhara Sammilani. It took me 20 minutes to reach the 'pandal', thanks to the crowd. And Durga Puja is still 3 days away! |
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| Tridhara Sammilani |
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| Tridhara Sammilani. Can you see the diol inside? |
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| Another star, Ballygunge Cultural, which became famous across India after the movie 'Kahaani' was shot here |
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| The idol at Ballygunge Cultural |
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| The beautiful decor at Ballygunge Cultural |
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| Ballygunge Cultural's neighbour Samajsebi Sangha |
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| The idol at Samajsebi Sangha |
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| The lovely decor at Samajsebi Sangha |
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| The illumination at Singhi Park, another original star |
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| Illumination at Singhi Park |
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| Illumination at Singhi Park |
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| More illumination at Singhi Park |
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| Approaching the Singhi Park 'pandal' |
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| Singhi Park pandal |
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| The idol at Singhi Park |
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| Illumination at Ekdalia Evergreen Club, right opposite Singhi Park, and another giant of the south |
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| The Ekdalia Evergreen 'pandal' |
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| The Ekdalia Evergreen idol |
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| The Ekdalia Evergreen idol along with the decor |
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| 64 Palli, a recent star in the south |
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| The 64 Palli theme is the kite string spool! |
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| The beautiful idol of 64 Palli |
