Durga Puja pandal accessibility is set to improve in Kolkata, with the West Bengal government planning dedicated lounges for elderly visitors and ramps for disabled devotees during the festival. The arrangements are intended to help people who face difficulty walking, navigating crowds or reaching viewing areas access pandals and see the idols more comfortably.
Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul shared details of the proposed facilities, according to Sanmarg. The special lounges will provide elderly and disabled visitors with a place to sit and rest. Tea will also be made available in the lounges, the minister said.
The intervention addresses a practical problem associated with Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations: visitors often have to walk long distances and negotiate dense crowds to reach pandals. For elderly people and those with mobility difficulties, the physical demands of moving between entrances, queues and viewing areas can make participation difficult even when the festival is otherwise open to the public.
The planned ramps will be intended for wheelchair users and other disabled visitors. They are expected to provide access to parts of the pandals from which visitors can see the idols and decorations more closely. The stated purpose is to reduce dependence on others and make it easier for disabled devotees to participate in the celebrations.
The proposal places accessibility within the management of temporary public spaces. Durga Puja pandals are active visitor destinations for the duration of the festival, but their layouts, entrances and circulation arrangements can vary. Providing ramps and rest areas therefore requires organisers and civic authorities to consider movement, waiting, seating and viewing together rather than treating access as limited to the main entrance.
The minister also called for better cleanliness around the pandals and said Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials would be asked to ensure that sufficient dustbins are installed. Food and snack sales generate additional waste during the festival, making waste collection an important part of managing crowded public spaces.
Visitors have been urged to use the dustbins for empty food packets, containers and leftover food instead of discarding them around the pandal premises. KMC volunteers are expected to support cleanliness efforts, while the proposed bins would provide additional collection points for visitors.
Together, the measures cover three linked requirements for an inclusive festival environment: rest for people who cannot walk for long periods, physical access for wheelchair users and other disabled visitors, and basic waste management in crowded areas. The source report does not specify the number of lounges or ramps, the pandals where they will be installed, or the standards and deadlines for their construction. Further implementation details will determine how consistently the proposed arrangements are available across Kolkata’s festival venues.
