Kolkata: Delegates from different parts of the world lauded the efforts of the state government in presenting the grand carnival on Red Road with idols of goddess Durga and her entourage.
They also appreciated the measures taken by Durga Puja organisers in spreading the message of communal harmony and national integrity.
With the FIFA Under-17 Football World Cup a few days away, delegates from different countries have begun to come in already.
A section of them witnessed the gala event for the first time and are much overjoyed by the sheer magnitude of creativity and culture.
Delegates from different Consulates in the city also witnessed the creativity of art work that the City of Joy has gifted the entire world on Tuesday evening. This is the first time for Ankai, who works in Chinese Consulate and staying in the country for the past three years, when he was present at Red Road on Tuesday and watched the entire event with rapt attention. "It is a wonderful event. I liked the way the tradition and culture has been showcased in the entire event. The difference in style of presentation of each of them (Puja organisers) was also noticeable and the creativity is something unexplainable," said Ankai. Vincenza Bufalo, Deputy Consul General of Italy, said: "I was also present in the carnival last year. It was fabulous last year. This year it has been organised with much more grandeur."
A tourist from Bhutan, Gorgi, said that he had visited the city quite a few times earlier during Durga Puja and even visited some mandaps as well. "But today's experience was completely different. It is something that cannot be explained," he said. The state government has also taken necessary steps so that foreign delegates do not face any inconvenience in reaching the venue. A separate arena was created for them from where they watched the carnival.
Many tourists from abroad, who are in the city now, also witnessed the event and expressed their desire to come to Kolkata again during Durga Puja as the city gets a completely different look during this time.