Celebrations: State Tourism dept to hold ‘Puja Parikrama’

Kolkata: In a launch of Puja Parikrama, the state Tourism department in association with I&CA department is set to conduct guided tour packages to showcase Durga Puja to the visitors in its diverse form. The packaged tours will be carried out in air-conditioned buses.

Last year, the state government had also carried out special Durga puja packages. This year also several packages have been planned. On October 6-7, a package named as “Udbodhani” will be carried by the two government departments where whole night Puja Parikrama will be carried out.

The visitors will be able to visit the puja pandals from 10 pm on October 6 till 5 am on October 7.

Another package has been conceptualised as “Sanatani” under which visitors will be taken to the traditional household Durga Pujas of Kolkata on October 10 and 11. “Hooghly Safar” will be organised on the same days (October 10 & 11) when a whole-day tour will be carried at the traditional houses of Hooghly district. Tourists will be provided with refreshments.

“The tourists can book any Sharadotsav packages 2024 through online booking portal of Tourism department www.wbtourism.gov.in (package tab) by paying through a payment gateway or can book offline from the Tourism Centre at 3/2 BBD Bag (East), Kolkata 01. For any kind of assistance, helpline number 1800 2121 655 is available 24x7,” reads a press note. State government last year had launched three special Puja packages and 65 small tour packages for the tourists. The three Puja packages last year were also styled as ‘Udbodhoni’, ‘Sanatani’ and ‘Hooghly Safar’. These apart, 65 new short tour packagesw had also been launched for the first time by the Tourism departments across 16 districts in 2013. It may be mentioned that in 2022 during the Durga Puja days, business worth about Rs 50,000 crore happened in Bengal.