The Durga Pujo Carnival today is all set to be the biggest held till date, with more than 25,000 people expected to be in attendance and several lakhs to connect digitally. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose brainchild this carnival is, will be the chief guest at the event to be held on Red Road.
‘Ranga Matir Bangla’ is the theme this year. The famous art form of terracotta, pottery and other items made out of burnt clay, of Bishnupur and other places in Bankura district will be highlighted at this year’s carnival.
More than 70 Pujo committees – those which are the best in Kolkata as well as in the districts, including those that won the Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman – will take part in the carnival.
The event is being held for the fourth consecutive time and will highlight Bangla’s traditional folk culture. The show has strengthened Bangla’s position in the world’s tourism map.
The programme will start at 4pm, led by the Kolkata Police’s Tornado unit – a motorcycle-borne squad of police personnel that performs stunts on the bikes. This will be followed by traditional dhunuchi dance and then chhau dance (indigenous to Purulia district), accompanied by dhaak rolls. After these, the main attraction of the carnival will take place – the parade of idols decked in all their finery on board trailers.
Last year, more than 2,500 foreign delegates and tourists had attended This year too several foreign delegates and members of the consular corps have been invited, according to a senior government official of the Information & Cultural Affairs Department, which is responsible for making the arrangements
Needless to say, security arrangements will also be tight. Watch towers, quick response teams of Kolkata Police, thousands of police personnel and personnel of the disaster management group will be on guard.