Visit Kolkata during Durga Puja and you’ll remember the experience all your life. The sheer scale of the celebrations and the grandeur associated with it will leave you stunned. The pandals, the beautifully crafted idols, the creativity, the revelry; it all concluded on October 3 with the grand immersion carnival organised by the West Bengal government.
Held for the second year running, chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s idea has put Kolkata on the world map. While over 50,000 spectators were in attendance for the extravagant carnival on Red Road, over five million watched it virtually! Beautifully designed floats showcasing idols and themes of the best pandals went slowly down the road towards the immersion ghat as dancers, singers and dhaakis kept the crowd enthralled.
Outlook Traveller was present for the grand immersion carnival to give you an idea of how spectacular the event was.
(Captions by Sharmistha Chaudhuri)