Puja & picnics: Kolkata marks New Year with Kalpataru Utsav and holiday cheer

Kolkata: As the city stepped into the New Year, Kolkata wore two distinct yet coexisting moods on January 1 —one of celebration and leisure, and the other of prayer and spiritual reflection. While crowds gathered at parks, streets and recreation zones to soak in the holiday cheer, lakhs of devotees across the city welcomed 2026 in the early hours of the day through puja, prayer and meditation, marking the observance of Kalpataru Utsav.

From north to south, the spiritual heartbeat of the city was visible from before dawn. Devotees thronged Kashipur Udyanbati, Dakshineswar, Karunamoyee Kalibari, Lake Kalibari and several other temples. Waking up in the pre-dawn hours, people ushered in the New Year by offering prayers and seeking blessings for peace, health and spiritual fulfilment.

At the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, one of the principal centres of the observance, the temple gates were opened around 5 am. Soon after, the temple complex began witnessing a steady surge of devotees. Puja rituals started around 5.30 am and continued through the day amid chanting, devotional songs and long queues. Similar scenes unfolded at Kashipur Udyanbati, closely associated with Sri Ramakrishna’s life, where devotees gathered in large numbers to seek blessings at the beginning of the year. Belur Math also saw a heavy turnout, with monks delivering sermons highlighting Sri Ramakrishna’s ideals of universal harmony and service to humanity.

Parallel to the spiritual observances, the celebratory mood of the New Year was evident across Kolkata’s recreational hubs.

On January 1, the Alipore Zoological Garden recorded a footfall of 52,341 visitors, while Eco Park in New Town drew as many as 66,494 people, reflecting the popularity of open spaces for family outings and leisure on the holiday.

The traditional epicentre of New Year festivities—Park Street and Bow Barracks—continued to attract crowds, but celebrations have clearly expanded beyond these areas. In south Kolkata, the Patuli wetlands stretch along the EM Bypass has emerged as a vibrant alternative, often referred to as “the Park Street of the south.” Adorned with replicas, statues and elaborate lighting installations, various shops, food stalls, planned around Christmas and New Year, the area comes alive after sunset.

Many revellers, preferring to avoid the dense crowds of central Kolkata, are now heading to Patuli and New Town. The evolving pattern highlights how Kolkata now welcomes the New Year—balancing celebration and spirituality, leisure and devotion—across multiple corners of the city.