Special pre-Puja preview of 24 pandals for seniors, specially abled from Sept 18 in Kolkata

Senior citizens and specially abled visitors will get an exclusive opportunity to experience 24 of Kolkata's most iconic Durga Puja pandals ahead of the festival, with organisers announcing a pre-Puja preview show from September 18-22.

Conceived by city-based cultural organisation MassArt, the initiative will allow visitors to enjoy the installations without the usual festive crowds, while also offering a curated exhibition of handcrafted works by Bengal's artisans at the Alipore Jail Museum. Each piece will draw inspiration from the themes of the participating puja pandals, a MassArt spokesperson said on Monday.

The 2025 pre-Puja show features a dedicated accessibility programme developed in collaboration with UNESCO and IIT Kharagpur.

''This year, accessibility emerges as a key priority for the Durga Puja celebrations. In response to a request from UNESCO, the West Bengal government is taking concrete steps to make the festival more inclusive — especially for senior citizens and people with disabilities,'' the spokesperson said, adding that navigating the city's densely packed pandals can be challenging, with large crowds and limited infrastructure posing barriers to access. The 24 pandals include popular puja locations such as Kashi Bose Lane, Hindusthan Road, Hatibagan Sarbojonin, Santoshpur Lake Pally, Kendua Shanti Sangha Patuli, 75 Pally, Chaltabagan, among others. In collaboration with MassArt, the India Autism Centre will also facilitate visits by around 450 autistic children and youth to these pandals during the preview period.

''We are ready to unveil the intricate unique features of our Puja before the special guests in the preview show. We had participated in the previous editions conceptualised by MassArt with support from UNESCO and the West Bengal government. While parts of our pandal and decoration will be accessible to the special guests at the north Kolkata venue, the Alipore Jail Museum exhibition will also showcase the intricate, unique features of our puja this year,'' Somen Dutta, spokesperson of Kashi Bose Lane said. More than just a celebration of local talent, we look at this initiative as a stepping stone towards global recognition, with plans to help participating artists reach international platforms like the India Art Fair, Art Dubai, and Art Basel, the MassArt spokesperson added.

In 2025, the Durga Puja festivities in Kolkata will begin with the advent of Devi Paksha on the day of Mahalaya September 21 and the main celebrations will take place from Sunday, September 28 (Mahasasthi) to Thursday, October 2 (Maha Dasahmi).

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