The 10th edition of Durga Puja Carnival organized by the Department of Tourism, West Bengal made Red Road a grand carnival of art, music, and worship, as it attracted thousands of onlookers on Sunday night, amidst intermittent rain and overcast weather. More than 113 Durga idols rolled down from Fort William to Akashvani Bhawan, while floodlights illuminated the colorful procession and cultural events.
Dona Ganguly and troupe open the carnival with flair
The celebrations began with Dona Ganguly and her troupe, mesmerizing the crowd with an energetic dance performance. “Diksha Manjari” students were draped in traditional white sarees with red borders, while Dona Ganguly graced in an eye-catching red saree. Following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's invitation, the inaugural act paved the way for a dynamic evening of dance, music, and rejoicing.
Star-studded stage and cultural highlights
Some of the Bengali film stars attended the carnival. At the invitation of the CM, actors Prosenjit Chatterjee, Srabanti Chatterjee, Minakshi Seshadri, June Malia, Aparajita Adhya, Ankush Hazra, Aindrila Sen, Soumitrisha Kundu, Lovely Maitra, Trina Saha, Tiasa Lepcha, and Sayantika Banerjee were there. The stage also witnessed appearances by Raima Sen, Riya Sen, Jisshu Sengupta, and Parambrata Chatterjee.
Oindrila Sen, Ankush Hazra, and Soham Chakraborty represented Sreebhumi Sporting Club performing the club's theme song. Members of Samaj Sebi Sangha presented a song written by the Chief Minister herself. Special performances were seen by Srabanti Chatterjee and Minakshi Seshadri at Kolkata Bodyguard Lines Puja, while Trina Saha and Aparajita Adhya performed for two clubs. Celebrities joined in to perform a traditional Dandiya dance, which further added to the festive atmosphere of the carnival.
Spectacular idol parade
The parade was initiated at around 4 pm with Ballygunge Cultural Association, then Behala Nutan Dal and Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha followed by other clubs. Giant screens made sure that viewers, even those seated far from the stage, were able to watch every performance and idol showcase.
Ever since 2016, the post-Puja procession organized by Mamata Banerjee has turned more extravagant and this year was a record as the highest number of Puja committees participated.
