Subheadline: The proposed programme will run from September 25 to October 15, with the main celebration planned for Mahalaya on October 10.
KOLKATA | September 11, 2026 — The West Bengal government plans to host a major Durga Puja event at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on October 10, marking Mahalaya and the beginning of the State’s festival celebrations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi may attend the programme, according to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
The event is expected to include cultural programmes, drone shows and fireworks. The State’s Information & Cultural Affairs Department will organise the celebrations, while the stadium is proposed to remain available for related programmes and associated preparations.
“We will have the biggest Durga Puja event on Mahalaya in Eden Gardens. This will be the beginning of the pujas,” Mr. Adhikari said at a Durga Puja preparatory meeting in Kolkata, according to the report.
A letter sent to the Cricket Association of Bengal, which manages Eden Gardens, requested that the venue be booked for a series of cultural and celebratory programmes. The proposed period covers September 25 to October 15, including preparatory and dismantling arrangements. The letter described the programme as part of the proposed Durga Puja celebrations for 2026.
The Prime Minister’s participation has not been confirmed as a final attendance schedule. CAB president and former cricketer Sourav Ganguly told a local media organisation that the proposed programme would be the first cultural event involving the Prime Minister at Eden Gardens. The stadium is traditionally associated with cricket, making the proposed use part of a wider public celebration at a major Kolkata venue.
The announcement also included plans for celebrations across Kolkata on September 17, the Prime Minister’s birthday. Mr. Adhikari said diyas would be lit across the city and that major buildings would be illuminated. He said the activities would extend across West Bengal, with at least one crore families expected to participate and around 80,000 schools involved.
The main September 17 programme is planned for the ghats of the Ganga, where candles will be lit. Students are expected to take part in cultural and educational activities based on their ideas and aspirations for the future of India under the Viksit Bharat 2047 mission. The Chief Minister also said the Prime Minister would address people virtually on the day.
The State has additionally announced cleanliness drives and blood donation camps as part of the September 17 programme. For the Eden Gardens event, the next formal step is the proposed booking and preparation of the stadium for the scheduled cultural programmes between September 25 and October 15.
