Election Season Disrupts Traditional Durga Puja Rituals in Kolkata
The vibrant city of Kolkata is witnessing an unusual clash of calendars this year, as the fervor of the election season—often referred to as "Vote Puja"—has forced many major Durga Puja organizers to postpone their traditional khuti puja ceremonies. This ritual, typically held on Poila Baisakh (the Bengali New Year) and during Rath Yatra, marks the symbolic start of pandal construction and preparations for the grand autumn festival.
Only a Handful of Pujas Proceed with Khuti Rituals
Amidst the political hustle, Tala Prattoy stands out as one of the few big-budget puja committees that performed its khuti puja on Wednesday. Other exceptions included the Behala Youngmen's Association and Pathuriaghata Pancher Palli Sarbojanin Durgotsab. For most other leading puja committees, the focus has shifted to election-related activities, delaying their planning until after the polls conclude around mid-May.
Dhrubajyoti Bose Suvo, mentor of Tala Prattoy club, explained their decision to proceed: "We have corporate funding, and with the new financial year beginning, we've fixed our budget. To meet completion deadlines, we started earlier this time and chose Poila Baisakh for the khuti puja. Our work cannot be delayed due to elections as we have serious commitments." The Tala Prattoy Durga Puja is estimated to have a budget of Rs 3 crore.
Art and Activism Merge on Poila Baisakh
Coinciding with World Art Day on April 15, which commemorates Leonardo da Vinci's birthday, artist Sanatan Dinda used the occasion to spread a powerful message. He painted a 42-foot-long graffiti with the theme "No War, Just Peace" to kick-start Behala's 77th year of Durga Puja. "Art has always encouraged innovation and sparked discussion worldwide. I chose the Durga Puja platform, and my art, to spread the message of stopping the war," Dinda stated. Notably, Dinda popularized the khuti puja tradition in a significant way back in 2004 during his neighborhood puja on Nalin Sarkar Street.
Meanwhile, artist Bhabatosh Sutar, known for transforming Durga Puja into an interactive art platform, was involved only with Tala Prattoy this year. He was in Odisha for puja-related work and missed Wednesday's khuti puja at the club ground.
Political Engagements Delay Puja Preparations
The ground reality this year is heavily influenced by the election season. Many puja committee members are actively engaged in political campaigns, leading to deferred rituals. Somnath Das, senior executive member of Santoshpur Lakepally Durga Puja, confirmed: "Vote puja is the main reason we deferred our khuti puja. Earlier, it used to be held on Poila Baisakh." This puja, in its 69th year, had a projected budget of Rs 1 crore, with its president also serving as Trinamool's ward 103 president.
Saswata Basu, vice-president and spokesperson for Forum for Durgotsab and secretary of Hatibagan Sarbojanin, highlighted the delay: "Every year, we release the puja banner on Poila Baisakh. But this year it will be delayed. We will fix the date after the election result day on May 4." Basu is also playing a crucial role as chief election agent for Trinamool candidate Atin Ghosh in Kashipur-Belgachhia AC.
Low-Key Celebrations Amid Election Fever
Some pujas managed to hold scaled-down events. Ellora Saha, councillor of ward 24, organized a small banner opening ceremony for Pathuriaghata Durga Puja on Poila Baisakh evening. "We do it every year, but this time it was on a low scale with party workers, puja connoisseurs, and locals participating in a cultural programme and social gathering," she said. Saha had been busy campaigning for Shashi Panja, the Trinamool candidate from Shyampukur constituency.
Looking ahead, Sandipan Banerjee, new president of Forum for Durgotsab and club secretary of Behala Nutan Dal, noted: "This year's Durga Puja is in mid-October, and we have a fortnight more compared to last year." This extra time might help committees catch up on preparations once the election season subsides, blending Kolkata's deep-rooted cultural traditions with the democratic fervor of Vote Puja.
