Kolkata is preparing a large public programme for Durga Puja 2026, with a planned 3,000-drone display at Eden Gardens on the evening of Mahalaya and special arrangements at several historic riverfront ghats, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Kolkata.
The drone show is expected to depict different elements associated with Durga Puja through illuminated aerial formations. The programme at Eden Gardens will also include cultural activities, although the report does not specify the event’s duration, operating agency, safety permissions or expected attendance.
The state is not planning a carnival this year, but will organise a Vijaya Sammelani for puja committees on September 26, according to the report. Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari said the gathering would be organised in a different format, with food stalls featuring well-known dishes from districts across West Bengal.
“We are organising a Vijaya Sammelani on the 26th with our puja committees. We are doing it in a slightly different style this time. There will be food stalls from different districts of West Bengal,” Adhikari said, according to the report. He added that the food would not follow the conventional catering format and that the organisers would attempt to include notable dishes from across the state.
The Mahalaya programme will also extend to Kolkata’s ghats, where thousands of people traditionally gather at dawn to perform tarpan, a ritual honouring deceased ancestors. The state is planning to play Mahishasuramardini, the well-known Bengali devotional broadcast associated with Mahalaya, over public address systems along the riverfront.
The ghats initially identified for the arrangement are Babughat, Ahiritola Ghat, Judges Ghat, Nimtala Ghat and Baje Kadamtala Ghat. Large radio replicas are also planned at these locations as part of the public presentation, the report said.
The proposed events place a major cultural programme across two different types of public space: Eden Gardens, a large sports and events venue, and the city’s riverfront ghats, which are used for religious rituals and daily civic activity. Any final arrangements would therefore require coordination on venue management, sound systems, public access and crowd movement, though the supplied report does not provide details of those measures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will not attend the Mahalaya event because of other engagements, according to the report. The state’s announcement currently covers the planned drone display, the Vijaya Sammelani and the ghat-based Mahalaya arrangements; further details on schedules, permissions and public advisories have not been provided.
