CM: 12,400 new Durga pujas got state nod | Mahalaya spectacle blends Bengal’s heritage with Guinness record
Eden Gardens, the mecca of cricket, shed its sporting avatar to become a breathtaking stage for Bengal’s biggest festive emotion — Durga Puja. On Mahalaya, thousands of performers, colossal installations, dazzling illuminations and synchronised drone formations turned the iconic stadium into a revolving canvas of light, colour and spectacle.
The night’s showstopper was a spellbinding son et lumière extravaganza on ‘Mahishasura Mardini’, as mythology, music and cutting-edge visual effects fused in a grand theatrical tribute to the Goddess, leaving the audience mesmerised. Adding to the grandeur of the evening, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was handed over a Guinness World Records certificate for the largest number of drummers performing at a single show.
The feat added a global distinction to the Mahalaya extravaganza, celebrating Bengal’s rich cultural heritage. Kolkata’s Durga Puja had already earned a place on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021, during former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s tenure. Addressing the gathering, Adhikari said his government had granted permission for 12,400 new Durga Pujas this year, and all of them would receive financial assistance from the state.
“Earlier, (during the previous government) to hold Durga pujas, one had to approach the Calcutta High Court to get requisite permission. It was sad. I do not think there is a single such case this time. Compared to the number of Durga pujas held in 2025, we have 12,400 more pujas this year,” he said.
Adhikari added that around 45,000 Durga pujas were held in the state last year.
On Saturday, as Eden transformed into a sprawling open-air stage, music, dance, technology and festive imagery merged in a spectacular welcome to Maa Durga. Chants of “Jai Maa Durga” reverberated through the stadium, while the iconic voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s Mahishasura Mardini stotram filled the air, evoking the spirit of Mahalaya and sending waves of festive fervour through the audience.
The sheer scale of the spectacle left the crowd spellbound. Around 3,000 drummers and an equal number of dancers came together for a mega performance, creating a thunderous rhythm of Bengal’s cultural pride. With this grand fusion of tradition and technology, the state government sought to turn the Mahalaya celebration into a landmark event, one that would resonate far beyond the stadium and herald Maa Durga’s arrival in unforgettable style.
The rhythmic thunder of drums, colourful light displays and choreographed performances created an immersive experience for spectators gathered inside the stadium.
The illuminated ground appeared to rotate as decorative motifs, elaborate lighting arrangements and multiple performance zones came together to create a constantly changing visual canvas. Two enormous conch-shell installations emerged as major attractions, alongside a gigantic dhunuchi, evoking Bengal’s distinctive traditions of worship and festive celebration.
The stage was designed to command attention from every corner of the stadium. One massive stage was reserved for Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Governor RN Ravi, while a considerably larger performance stage was set up for singer Shaan, Shantanu Moitra, whose appearance formed one of the principal attractions of the evening. Fireworks burst across the night sky as colourful beams swept across the stadium, complementing the performances on the ground. Drones and laser displays added another dimension, adding to the spectacle.
The chief minister himself stepped onto the ground to get a closer view of the drones moving around the stadium, underlining the visual impact of the display.
Speaking on the occasion, Adhikari said the programme had been organised in keeping with Bengal’s cultural traditions, with performances and activities reflecting the state’s heritage.
“Durga Puja is the biggest cultural and religious programme we have. Earlier, because of the special efforts of PM Modi, our Durga Puja got recognition globally and earned the UNESCO cultural heritage tag. I would like to thank him for it,” Adhikari said.
“We had decided that this year, besides the cultural aspects of the Puja, we will also follow the customary rituals as per the traditional Hindu astrological almanac,” the CM remarked. He said 200 Puja committees had agreed to his appeal not to accept the state government’s Rs 1 lakh grant. Adhikari announced that the state government would begin disbursing the grants to clubs and committees from Sunday.
Adhikari and Governor RN Ravi visited the districts’ cultural stalls on Red Road before heading to Eden Gardens.
The spectacle brought Bengal’s artistic traditions to the fore through a mass ensemble of thousands of performers. Traditional symbols such as conch shells and ‘dhunuchi’ blended with drones, lasers and synchronised lighting, reimagining Mahalaya’s invocation of Goddess Durga on a grand scale and heralding the countdown to Durga Puja.
