Preparations are under way at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens for a large Durga Puja programme on October 10, the day of Mahalaya, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to inaugurate five major pujas virtually and an estimated 35,000 people, including 2,500 VIP guests, scheduled to attend.
The programme, planned for 7 pm, will combine the virtual inaugurations with cultural performances, a light-and-sound laser show, a drone display and fireworks. Organisers said around 6,000 artists and 3,000 dhakis are expected to participate in the cultural programme before and during the event.
The five pujas expected to be inaugurated virtually from the stadium are Sribhumi Sporting, Suruchi Sangha, Santosh Mitra Square, Chetla Agrani and Tridhara Sammilani. The programme is being organised at a time when Kolkata is preparing for the wider Durga Puja season, with Mahalaya two weeks away.
According to the report, the Prime Minister will be welcomed at Eden Gardens with the blowing of thousands of conch shells. He is also expected to tour the field in a golf cart along with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The programme will include musical performances by composer Shantanu Maitra, Shaan, Lagnajita, Antara Mitra and Kaushiki Chakraborty. Bengali band Dohar and folk music performers are also expected to take part.
The Cricket Association of Bengal held a meeting with the state administration on Friday, where officials were shown a presentation of the programme. Those present included CAB president Sourav Ganguly, CAB treasurer Sanjay Das, the state’s Additional Chief Secretary, the Kolkata City Police Commissioner, officials from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and representatives of the Tourism Department.
Sanjay Das, CAB treasurer, said the association would make arrangements as directed by the administration. “We will make the arrangements as the administration wants. This is the first time the country’s Prime Minister is coming to Eden,” he said.
The projected attendance makes the event a significant crowd-management exercise for a stadium that is also used for major sporting fixtures. The report said there would be no restrictions on entry and exit at Eden Gardens for now. On the day of the programme, however, the two floors of the Club House and the Press Box will not be accessible.
The available details do not specify the final entry protocol, traffic diversions, security perimeter or public-transport arrangements for the event. These operational measures will determine how the programme affects movement around the stadium and access for spectators, officials, performers and nearby residents.
The event’s next major milestone is the October 10 programme, when the virtual inaugurations, cultural performances and associated shows are scheduled to take place at Eden Gardens.
