Operation Sindoor to Sholay@50: Kolkata’s many themes for a dream Durga Puja

The way we celebrate both festivals bear unesco tags of intangible cultural heritage. But while change seems to be the only constant in Kolkata Durga Puja’s search for the perfect theme, Vadodara’s garba remains proudly rooted in the purity of tradition.Goddess Durga would probably be bemused by it all.

From Operation Sindoor to the thrashing of Bengalis in Odisha and their “deportation” to Bangladesh, and from the commercial razzmatazz of Sholay to the niche art of Ritwik Ghatak, the sheer variety of “themes” that Kolkata’s Durga Puja pandals are showcasing this year would be mindboggling, even for the deity who, it’s believed, pays an autumnly visit to the domain of mortals with her children.2025, that way, could be called a “lucky confluence of stars” for Bengal’s biggest festival, the first since it was listed by Unesco in 2021 as being part of humanity’s ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’. The year marks the start of the celebrations that will mark filmmaker Ghatak’s birth centenary; it is also the 50th anniversary of Sholay. 2025 will see (or has already seen) politicians amping up their rhetoric for next year’s state assembly polls; and this, in turn, has pitchforked the bashing up of Bengali migrant labourers and Operation Sindoor as prime political issues — to be showcased by the state’s two biggest political forces: Trinamool Congress and BJP.

Op Sindoor To Bengali-Bashing, Everything GoesThere’s an embarrassment of riches of “masala” to choose from, when it comes to picking the right theme.So, even as central Kolkata club Santosh Mitra Square highlights “BJP’s handling of Operation Sindoor”, there are five others — in north Kolkata’s bylanes and Salt Lake’s parks — that blame BJP for hounding Bengali migrant labourers in states the party governs. There are no prizes for guessing that the pandal highlighting Op Sindoor (just off Sealdah station) is helmed by a BJP councillor, and that most of the others are patronised by Trinamool netas.

Discrimination against Bengalis takes centre stage at several pandals, a reaction against attempts to label Bengali-speaking Indians as “Bangladeshi”. The theme of north Kolkata’s Chaltabagan Sarbojonin puja highlights the plight of migrant workers returning to Bengal after alleged harassment in some states for speaking in their mother tongue. A similar theme is in the works at the Dum Dum Road Hanumanmandir Jayasree Club, which is focusing on the illegal expulsion of Bengali migrant workers, even as Adarshapally Club in Behala emphasises the struggles of Bengalis who crossed from Bangladesh into India after Partition.Bengaliness as a broad theme is also evident in the efforts of Baguiati Ashwininagar Bandhumahal, which is trying to showcase the state’s cultural icons and legacy.Many others have chosen to go off the political grid altogether in favour of “non-aligned” ones — considerably “safer” in a pre-election year.Simla Sporting Club on Vivekananda Road is marking the 50th anniversary of Sholay, recreating Ramgarh’s dusty terrain through paintings depicting iconic moments and busts of the movie’s main characters: Jai, Veeru, Gabbar Singh, and others.

The puja committee’s joint general secretary, Prasad Banerjee, says it is their way of paying tribute to a film “that we’ve all grown up watching” in its golden jubilee year Sreebhumi Sporting Club in Lake Town, helmed by a Trinamool minister — a top-draw puja, which has given pandal-hoppers, in the last few years, the Burj Khalifa, St Peter’s Basilica, Disneyland and the Tirupati temple — is building a replica of New Jersey’s BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple.

This, say the organisers, symbolises India’s global cultural footprint.“Local and global aesthetics” is also the theme of the Shyambazar Friends Union puja, which is building replicas of the Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah awash in gold-and-neon illumination.Flights Of Literary FancySome pujas have chosen to focus on Bengali literature and culture. At the Kashi Bose Lane puja in north-central Kolkata, Leela Majumdar’s literary legacy is in focus.

“It’s something that shaped our childhoods,” says organiser Soumen Ghosh.Dum Dum Park Tarun Dal’s theme is also literary — it takes inspiration from Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay’s Byomkesh Bakshi detective stories and the Kolkata of the 1930s and 1940s.The tribute to filmmaker Ghatak plays out at the AK Block puja in Kolkata’s satellite city, Salt Lake. The theme is ‘Jukti Ar Torko’ (Reason and Debate), an allusion to the auteur’s critically acclaimed film, ‘Jukti, Tokko Ar Golpo’ (Reason, Debate and a Story).

Busts of Ghatak in various moods adorn the pandal, in a style reminiscent of his cinematic style.Behala’s Young Men’s Association puja also has a ‘literary’ theme, and they’ve chosen to takea step back in time: the evolution of printing in Bengal, from 18th-century lithographs to digital formats. “Each printed word symbolises a step toward modern literature,” notes organiser Sourav Roy.Myth & Contemporary IssuesBarisha Sarbajonin has chosen to go off in a spiritual direction.

They are constructing a threetiered pandal, symbolising Swarga (heaven), Martya (earth) and Pataal (underworld), blending Indian myth into a spatial design. Dum Dum’s Golaghata Sammilani, on the other hand, has eyes set on an issue that’s not only contemporary, but also only too real: its theme, “Break Fail”, addresses children’s trauma from parental separation.Several others have also chosen to highlight contemporary issues.

Baguiati Rail Pukur United Club’s theme is “Shabdo” (sound), through which it addresses the gradual disappearance of natural ambient noises, attempting to evoke nostalgia while raising ecological awareness. Jagat Mukherjee Park in Sovabazar, north Kolkata, has decided to go cutting-edge: its theme “Artificial Intelligence: Blessing or Curse?” blends futuristic and traditional design elements to provoke reflection on AI’s role in modern life.Nearby, Hatibagan Nabin Pally’s “Amar Desh, Amar Durga” (My Country, My Durga) theme pays homage to women freedom fighters of the Quit India Movement, reviving their stories as a tribute to their sacrifices during India’s Independence struggle.A Major Micro EconomyWith over 40,000 Durga Pujas held throughout Bengal, the festival has emerged as a major micro-economy. Once every year, pandal-makers, idol artisans, electricians, security staff, dhakis and priests make a living because of the celebrations.“This year, over 2,700 pujas across Kolkata have provided livelihoods to thousands of craftsmen and workers involved in idol-making, pandal construction, and traditional crafts,” says Saswata Bose, secretary of the Forum for Durgotsab, which describes itself as a “pioneer organization of community Durgapuja in Kolkata and suburbs”. “The money spent on art, decor and celebrations sustains the households of several lakh labourers for over six months,” he adds.According to figures extrapolated from data provided by the forum, multiple chambers of commerce, travel and tourism associations and hoteliers’ associations, the festival generates transactions worth Rs 50,000 crore across the state, reflecting its socio-economic significance — beyond just religious devotion.Unesco’s recognition of Durga Puja as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity has further elevated its global stature.

Last year, Kolkata welcomed over 17,000 foreign tourists — from the US, Australia, France, Germany, UK, Italy and Ireland — up from the previous year’s 12,000, according to the Bengal govt and travel and tourism associations. Many of these tourists even participated in rituals like ‘sindur khela’ and in the Red Road Carnival, which featured over 100 Durga idols.“As Kolkata prepares for this grand festival, the thematic diversity of this year’s pujas reflects not only artistic creativity but also the collective pulse of Bengal’s society, politics, and economy, making it an event that transcends mere celebration,” says Bodhisatva Banerjee, a Durga Puja enthusiast.UNESCO RECOGNITIONIn 2021, Durga Puja was inscribed on list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.