A grand carnival took place at Red Road in Kolkata, featuring tableaux from 95 Durga Puja committees, marking a joyful return after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The event served as a tribute to Kolkata’s Durga Puja being recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Community puja committees participated in a vibrant parade, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship before an audience including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, UNESCO representatives, and diplomats from various countries.
The festivities commenced with a performance by Kolkata Police’s ‘Daredevil’ force, followed by the Chief Minister joining Santhali dancers, accompanied by minister Birbaha Soren and actress Oindrila Bose. Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya also danced alongside members of Hindustan Park Puja Committee during the procession. Puja committees like College Square, Sreebhumi Sporting Club, and Singhi Park displayed traditional idols, accompanied by dhak beats and cultural performances.
Prominent committees like Suruchi Sangha, Chetla Agrani, Dumdum Park Tarun Dal, and Behala Natun Dal presented theme-based idols and artworks. All 95 participating puja committees received the state-sponsored ‘Biswa Bangla’ award.
The event, held from 4:30 pm to 9:15 pm, led to road diversions and traffic congestion across the city. Each puja committee had three minutes for cultural performances near the main dais where Banerjee and other dignitaries were seated. Participants, adorned in traditional Bengali attire, walked alongside their tableaux, holding ‘Thank You UNESCO’ placards.
The annual carnival, organized since 2016, resumed after a pandemic-induced break. Similar programs were conducted in every district of the state the previous day. The decision to proceed with the Red Road carnival drew criticism, particularly regarding eight deaths in a flash flood during idol immersion and the police asking protesting SSC candidates to vacate the spot.
Opposition leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari and Sukanta Majumder of the BJP, termed the event negatively, with Majumder calling it a “death carnival.” Congress president Adhir Chowdhury accused the government of lacking sympathy for the flood victims’ families. In response, the TMC accused the opposition of politicizing the tragedy and affirmed its commitment to handling the SSC aspirants’ concerns with fairness and transparency. TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh pointed out that Adhikari had previously participated in the carnival when he was with the TMC.