satchmo1963's VirtualTourist Home Page

An event not to be missed, wherever you may be from. Common logic will lead you to believe that this is part of the standard set of Hindu rituals that Kolkata goes through every year. Its anything but that, as hundreds of thousands pack the streets over four days at Kolkata around Sep-Oct each year in the brightest and latest fashions, eating, shrieking, chattering and merry-making their way through the huge range of Puja pandals, where images of Goddess Durga are worshipped alongwith her four children (Karthik, Ganesha, Lakshmi and Saraswati). You may check out www.calcuttaweb.com for more information on this absolute riot. Here are samples from select Pujas of Kolkata circa 2004. Do note that all the structures / images shown are temporary in nature, and are built to last for not more than a week!

And to let you have a glimpse of variety, here's another image of the Goddess (made on a base of twigs and straw!)

I happened to click this pic at one of the Puja pandals around 2am, when the revellers were just about warming up! This pandal has been constructed on one of the main thoroughfares of south Calcutta (where, I'm informed, some of the most beautiful lasses and eligible dudes assemble to exchanges glances and more...!!). The pandal's is made entirely out of papier mache....