Bengal CM announces changes to Durga Puja celebrations, including no carnival this year

PTI, September 7, 2026, Kolkata: The first Durga Puja in West Bengal under the BJP government will be marked by a series of large-scale cultural programmes, drone and fireworks shows, while the annual carnival, introduced during the TMC era, will not be held this year, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Monday.

Making it clear that organisers should not have to approach the courts for permission to conduct Durga Puja unlike the previous Trinamool Congress regime, Adhikari said his government would ensure that the festival could be celebrated in accordance with Bengali traditions and culture without unnecessary hurdles.

"The carnival that was being imposed in the name of Durga Puja for the last few years will not be held this year," he said after a preparatory and coordination meeting on the festival.

Instead, the state Tourism and Information and Cultural Affairs Departments will jointly organise a major programme at Eden Gardens to mark the beginning of the festive season.

The programme will feature a four-hour drone and fireworks show, the Chief Minister said, adding that an elaborate series of events would be organised across the state during the run-up to Durga Puja.

A special programme will also be held at Digha after Mahalaya, while cultural programmes will be organised for two days in six cities across the state, Adhikari said.

The carnival was introduced by the Mamata Banerjee government in 2017, months after the administration faced criticism and allegations of minority appeasement over its decision to restrict idol immersions around Muharram.

In that year, Vijaya Dashami, when Durga idols are traditionally immersed, fell on September 30, while Muharram was observed on October 1.

The Chief Minister announced that the government will also decorate four ghats and organise cultural programmes there as part of the festivities.

Adhikari on Monday also announced that liquor shops and bars across the state will remain closed on Maha Ashtami during the upcoming Durga Puja.

"On the day when devotees offer anjali (Maha Ashtami) to Maa Durga, all liquor shops in the state will remain closed. There will be no liquor available in bars either," he said.

The decision comes despite the traditionally high demand for liquor during the Puja days.

The CM also announced a complete ban on DJ music during the festivities as well as immersion processions, stressing the need to maintain discipline and preserve the traditional character of the festival.

The Chief Minister asked Puja committees to ensure that their idols, pandals and themes do not hurt religious sentiments or undermine Sanatan traditions.

The BJP government, which came to power in West Bengal this year after ending the 15-year rule of the Trinamool Congress, is keen to project the state's biggest festival as a celebration rooted in Bengali culture and tradition.

Adhikari also said the government would not allow roads and national highways to be unnecessarily blocked in the name of organising pujas.

"National highways cannot be blocked. Puja cannot be organised by blocking roads," he said, indicating that organisers would have to ensure that public movement was not disrupted.

The government's approach is expected to set the tone for the first Durga Puja season under the BJP administration, with the emphasis on large-scale public celebrations while ensuring that traditional puja rituals and public convenience are not compromised.