Durga Puja 2026: Bengal pandals take on climate, devotion and city noise
Representative image: sujay85 / Pixabay
Rajdanga's 'Shodhan' on environmental damage and Siliguri's 'Adi Shakti' were unveiled for Durga Puja 2026, reports on 13 October said; Chorebagan's 'Beyond Sound' opened 12 October.
What Happened
Two Durga Puja committees in West Bengal have unveiled 2026 pandals that use the festival to carry larger messages, one about the environment and one about spiritual devotion, according to reports published on Tuesday, 13 October 2026. In south Kolkata, Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha's pandal, titled "Shodhan", explores the consequences of environmental destruction and imagines a future in which depleted natural resources leave people searching for artificial sources of oxygen. In Siliguri, Subarata Sangha's "Adi Shakti" pandal, marking the club's 69th year, features a giant idol of Lord Shiva and a replica of Mount Kailash. A day earlier, on 12 October, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari inaugurated Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity's 91st puja in north Kolkata, built around the theme "Beyond Sound".
Key Facts
- Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha (south Kolkata): theme "Shodhan", on the effects of environmental damage, rapid urbanisation and wasteful use of natural resources.
- The Shodhan installation was conceptualised by artist Debashis Barui and pictures a future where people seek artificial alternatives to oxygen.
- Subarata Sangha (Siliguri): theme "Adi Shakti", with a giant Shiva idol and a Mount Kailash replica, in the club's 69th year.
- Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity (north Kolkata): 91st puja, theme "Beyond Sound", conceptualised by artist Susanta Sibani Paul and inaugurated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on 12 October 2026.
- Beyond Sound sets the noise of city life against a space meant for calm and introspection.
- The main days of Durga Puja 2026 fall in the third week of October, ending on 21 October.
Why It Matters
Kolkata's Durga Puja is as much a festival of public art as of worship. Neighbourhood committees build pandals that work as large installations, and many pick themes on social questions. Shodhan is one of them. By asking visitors who come to see the goddess to also think about air, water and forests, it uses one of the world's largest public gatherings to start a conversation that is hard to have anywhere else.
Adi Shakti shows the other strand: themes rooted in mythology and devotion. It also shows how the festival's creative energy now extends well beyond Kolkata, into towns such as Siliguri in north Bengal.
Chorebagan's Beyond Sound, with its focus on quiet in the middle of the city's noise, adds a reflective note to a festival known for crowds, drums and lights. Together, the three pandals show the range of ideas that artists, craftspeople and local clubs bring to the festival each year.
| | Pandal | Place | Theme | |
|---|---|---|
| | Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha | South Kolkata | Shodhan: environmental destruction | |
| | Subarata Sangha | Siliguri | Adi Shakti: Shiva and Mount Kailash | |
| | Chorebagan Sarbojanin | North Kolkata | Beyond Sound: calm amid city noise | |
Impact
Short-term: Theme pandals like these are expected to draw large crowds through the main puja days, which end on 21 October 2026.
Long-term: Environmental and reflective themes help keep the festival's role as a platform for public art and social messages, and support the artists and craftspeople who create the pandals.
Who is affected: Devotees and visitors in Kolkata and Siliguri, puja committees, pandal artists and artisans, and local businesses that depend on festival crowds.
Key Takeaway
West Bengal's 2026 Durga Puja pandals include Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha's "Shodhan" on environmental destruction and Siliguri's "Adi Shakti" with a Mount Kailash replica, showing the festival's mix of social message and devotion.
Questions and Answers
What is the Shodhan pandal about?
Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha's Shodhan pandal in south Kolkata explores the effects of environmental destruction, imagining a future where people must look for artificial sources of oxygen. It was conceptualised by artist Debashis Barui.
Where is the Adi Shakti pandal?
It is in Siliguri, built by Subarata Sangha in its 69th year, and features a giant Shiva idol and a replica of Mount Kailash.
Which pandal did the Chief Minister inaugurate on 12 October?
Suvendu Adhikari inaugurated Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity's 91st puja in north Kolkata, themed "Beyond Sound".
When are the main days of Durga Puja 2026?
The main puja days fall in the third week of October and end on 21 October 2026.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
