Puja Special

Bengal's biggest carnival has arrived. The city, decked like a bride, is welcoming all within its warm embrace. The troubles of yesterday have given way to new outfits, finger-licking street food, endless adda and a pervading joy that defines Durga Puja. Our Mother is coming home and we cannot keep calm! But before stepping into this week of extravaganza, Millennium Post caught up with few well-known faces of the city, to find out how this festive season has touched their hearts and homes!

Durga Puja celebrations are as much about glitter and pomp as they are about strict preparations and regulation – Gourab Neto takes readers through the levels of planning undertaken by police authorities, from the inception to the Red Road carnival that marks a glittering end, until next year

From idols decked in gold to pandals reminding visitors of their duty towards Mother Nature – Team MP guides you through Durga Puja 2019 that is set to titillate your senses while pricking your conscience

From being a show of abundant luxury to becoming a festival for all, Durga Puja in Kolkata has traversed a long journey – but its dynamic essence remains sacrosanct; elaborates Tarun Goswami

Bringing fresh respite from the communal violence that clouds today's air – Durga Puja has arrived as the ultimate unifier, calling communities, sexes, classes, castes, creeds together in a frenzy of celebration, joy and reverential harmony; discusses Shaheryar Hossain

We gather annually to revere the female spirit in exalted celebration but our daily practice witnesses no reflection of such devotion or respect – mythical Durga's power scares all, while the common woman lives her everyday in fear of abuse, violence, discrimination; writes Kaushikibrata Banerjee

Adorning the rich man’s courtyard while simultaneously finding a home in the poor man’s slums; hosted by a Brahmin priest and decked by a Muslim craftsman – Durga Puja magnificently diminishes differences in a reverential celebration where devotees stand united in their subservience to the Mother Goddess, writes Kaushikibrata Banerjee

From depicting the pain of child labour to touching upon the crisis of isolation in our modern world and further on to designing a grand structure on the lines of Padmaavat – Durga Puja 2018 is set to be a thrill for the many enthusiasts who anxiously wait for October to arrive, discusses Shayani Mukherjee

The pinnacle of Bengal's festive glory – Durga Puja has witnessed a frenzy of change in the last few decades. While the grandeur dazzles audiences across the globe, at home, a little bit of tradition is lost with each flip of the calender, explores Archishman Sarkar

The Bengal Tourism Department has come up with several exciting packages to help foreigners and localites experience the glitz and glory of Durga Puja. Soumitra Nandi discusses the various trips on offer – each packed with exciting locations and lip-smacking food

Tucked miles away from their homes are our policemen, civic volunteers, hospital staff, firefighters and members of the emergency services who are especially dedicated to their call of duty during Durga Puja. These “men in uniform” make the mega festival more exciting, enjoyable and most importantly safer, for us. Pritesh Basu writes about how these bravehearts carry on with their duties, unperturbed

During the four days of this carnival known as Durga Puja, the itinerant Bengali mind finds supreme solace in appealing compositions, exhilarating movies and mouthwatering delights. Tarun Goswami, taking note of this inclination, writes on where and what to look for this autumn