West Bengal: Durga Puja Carnival tomorrow, Mamata to attend

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who confined herself to her house due to an injury in her leg during her trip to Spain and Dubai, is scheduled to attend the event, sources said.

“We are showcasing and branding Durga Puja to attract investment to the state. So, we are trying to invite more foreign tourists and dignitaries… Each Puja committee will be given three minutes to showcase cultural activities at the carnival,” a senior official of the Tourism Department said.
“This year’s carnival will begin with a dance performance by the Dona Ganguly group. Cricketer Sourav Ganguly’s wife, Dona, may take part in the dance programme. A sitting arrangement for 18,000 people has been made,” the official said.

With the carnival set to be held from 4 pm to 10 pm, Red Road will be closed for traffic for 24 hours – from October 27 midnight to October 18 midnight.

Kolkata Police has issued a traffic advisory too. Traffic will be restricted on several roads around Red Road including AJC Bose Road, Hastings Crossing, Lovers Lane, New Road, Dufferin Road and Hare Street among others.

People can enter Red Road on the day of the carnival through AJC Bose Road, Mayo Road, and Jawaharlal Nehru Road. Besides, people taking the Metro have to get down at Dharmatala and Park Street to reach Red Road through designated roads. Parking will be closed on Cathedral Road.

The carnival has been organised by the Mamata Banerjee government since 2016, except for two years – 2020 and 2021 – on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. In December 2021, the Durga Puja, the biggest festival in West Bengal and among the Bengali community, got a heritage tag from the United Nations, which added ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ to the ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ list.