State unveils ‘Puja Parikrama’ packages; no trams this year

Kolkata: To enhance the Durga Puja experience for pandal hoppers, the West Bengal Transport Department has unveiled special ‘Puja Parikrama’ packages.

The West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) offers a variety of transportation options for these packages, including non-AC, executive, and luxury Volvo buses, as well as launches for water journeys.

State Transport Minister Snehasish Chakraborty announced the packages on Monday. This year, however, trams are excluded. Minister Chakraborty explained: “Last year, Kolkata Traffic Police raised concerns about trams causing significant traffic disruptions during the festival rush. Although we included trams last year, we decided against it this year.”

The Puja Parikrama tours will cover Kolkata’s renowned community pujas, Bonedi Families Puja, and traditional pujas in suburban areas.

The Bonedi Families tour, featuring stops at Sovabazar Rajbari, Sabarna Ray Chowdhury, and Behala Ray Bari, will run from October 9 (Sasthi) to October 11 (Ashtami/Navami), with ticket prices ranging from Rs 1,500 to 2,000.

For those interested in visiting famous pujas like Ekdalia, Singhi Park, and Badamtala Ashar Sangha, WBTC offers non-AC buses priced between Rs. 450 and 600 and AC buses priced between Rs 2000 and 2100. Additionally, a unique tour combining water and surface travel will allow visitors to explore North Kolkata’s pujas via launch and AC bus.

Suburban tours are also available, including visits to Dhannyakuria and Arbelia villages near Basirhat, known for their European-style architecture, on Saptami and Ashtami/Navami. A Mahashtami tour to Jairambati and Kamarpukur is scheduled for September 11.

Each bus or launch will be equipped with a tour guide and first aid kit. Bookings can be made through the WBTC portal, major terminus, various depots, and people can also visit the state Transport Department’s office.

This year, 45 buses will be dedicated to Puja Parikrama.

Also, night services will be available from Kolkata with Howrah, Sealdah, and Barasat on puja days and special shopping services to popular markets like Gariahat and New Market are already operational.