Kolkata gears up for Pujo Carnival 2018

Kolkata: Countdown for the Pujo Carnival on Red Road has begun with only two days left for the extravaganza when idols of Goddess Durga and her entourage will be passing one after another on decorated tableaus amid beats of dhaak on Tuesday evening.

This is the third year when the Mamata Banerjee government is organising the Pujo Carnival on Red Road, an event that has become globally famous and attracts tourists to Bengal from all over the world.

With the stage almost set, the last minute work to give finishing touches to the main podium that looks like the Thakurdalan of a Rajbari, is going on in full swing.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with senior officials of the state government and different guests will be congratulating the Durga Puja committees from the main podium.

This year, as many as 75 Durga Puja Committees will be partici-

pating in the Pujo Carnival. The Chief Minister had announced the same earlier. Last year, the number was 50.

The Pujo Carnival is a platform where the culture and tradition of Bengal is depicted through different art forms. Starting from folk dance to kirtan, the art forms are presented when the idols of Goddess Durga and her entourage pass one after another.

Participating Durga Puja committees do not leave any stone unturned to turn up as the best in the Pujo Carnival, in which only the best Pujas from the city and its adjoining areas get the opportunity to participate.

Each of the Durga Puja Committees decorates the tableau as per the theme of their Puja pandal and places the idol on the same. A few Puja committee members walk just ahead of their tableau and women blew conch shells congratulating the Chief Minister, after going near the main podium. Some Puja organisers also perform cultural shows in a very short span of time in front of the main podium, which takes the carnival to new heights.

There will be seating arrangement for thousands of people beside the main podium. There will be an exclusive place where seating arrangement for tourists from different parts of the world will be made.

The police have also taken necessary measures to avoid any untoward incident during the carnival. Though there will be no restriction on the movement of vehicles on Red Road when the work to decorate the place is going on, traffic will be diverted through other routes from a few hours ahead of the programme, which is going to start from 4.30 pm on Tuesday.

There will be all sorts of security arrangement in place, along with strict vigil by the police in the area. The entire area has been brought under the coverage of CCTV. There will also be watchtowers from

where police will carry out surveillance. Drones will be also be deployed for the same.