Durga Puja 2025 in Kolkata: Best Pandals, Rituals to Witness, Travel Tips, and Itinerary

As Durga Maa returns to Kolkata, the city comes alive in a rhythm of devotion and celebration. The dhaak beats echo through the streets, lamps shimmer in the twilight, and incense carries prayers skyward, filling every corner with faith and joy.

Whether you are stepping into the magic for the first time or returning as part of an annual ritual, Durga Puja in Kolkata invites you to wander heritage lanes, marvel at themed pandals, savour bhog and street food, and join in timeless rituals.

This Club Mahindra guide is both heartfelt and practical. Inside, you’ll find important dates, easy travel routes, curated pandal-hopping trails, and simple etiquette to keep your journey respectful and smooth.

In this blog

• Why Kolkata Durga Puja Feels Different
• The 2025 Durga Puja Calendar at a Glance
• Must-Visit Durga Puja Pandals in Kolkata
• Durga Puja Rituals You Must Witness
• Go Traditional During Durga Puja in Kolkata
• What to Eat in Kolkata During Durga Puja
• 10 Tips to Enjoy Durga Puja in Kolkata 2025
• 3-Day Itinerary for Kolkata Durga Puja 2025

Why Kolkata Durga Puja Feels Different

Kolkata greets Goddess Durga as the Mother returning home, and the entire city becomes a living temple of devotion and artistry. Towering themed pandals, artistic innovations, and dazzling illuminations turn every lane into a celebration of faith and imagination. It is the grandest religious festival in India, if not the world.

The scale is enormous, yet the celebration is remarkably well organised. The administration works tirelessly, police and volunteers guide visitors, and metros run until late at night to keep pandal hoppers moving smoothly.

From heritage quarters to modern townships, the whole city takes part. Families, neighbours, and strangers alike unite in prayer, dance, food, and festivity, making Durga Puja not just an event, but Kolkata’s soul on display.

Durga Puja 2025 Calendar at a Glance

• Mahalaya (Sun, 21 Sept): At dawn, Kolkata awakens to Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s Mahishasuramardini. Lamps are lit, altars refreshed, and idols receive final touches. A gentle prologue, it marks the Goddess’s invitation.
• Shashthi (Sun, 28 Sept): Bodhon rituals announce Durga’s arrival. Pandals open fully, with décor easy to admire before peak crowds.
• Saptami (Mon, 29 Sept): The Kola Bou (banana plantain) ritual is performed at daybreak. Ideal for peaceful pandal rounds, with cultural events beginning in the evening.
• Ashtami (Tue, 30 Sept): The most sacred day. Join Anjali in the morning, while evenings glow with dhunuchi naach and conch shells.
• Sandhi Puja (30 Sept–1 Oct): A charged hour of mantras and 108 lamps between Ashtami and Navami. Arrive early, respect the sanctity.
• Navami (Wed, 1 Oct): The festival peaks with grand aartis, dazzling lights, and late-night pandal-hopping.
• Dashami (Thu, 2 Oct): A farewell of grace with Sindoor Khela in the afternoon and emotional Visarjan processions on the Hooghly by night.

Must-Visit Durga Puja Pandals in Kolkata

North & Central Kolkata- Heritage Trail

Bagbazar Sarbojanin

Bagbazar Sarbojanin is one of Kolkata’s oldest Durga Pujas, known for its heritage charm and riverside setting. The stately idol, intricate shola work, and gentle dhaak beats create a deeply devotional aura. Early morning or dusk visits let you soak in the calm atmosphere.

• Best time to visit: Morning or evening
• Nearest Metro: Shyambazar

Ahiritola Sarbojanin

Ahiritola Sarbojanin reflects the old-world devotion of Kolkata, where simple, hand-drawn alpana, soft lighting, and fabric décor make the pandal feel homely. Here, elders guide the rituals with humility while youngsters learn in quiet reverence, keeping age-old traditions alive. It’s an intimate experience, best enjoyed slowly.

• Best time to visit: Late morning or evening
• Nearest Metro: Sobhbazar–Sutanuti

Kumartuli Park

Close to the idol-makers’ studios, Kumartuli Park honours the artisans who breathe life into Durga idols. The pandal’s earthy textures, terracotta motifs, and raw clay aesthetics pay tribute to craftsmanship. Visiting here feels like stepping into the heart of Kolkata’s creative soul.

• Best time to visit: Post-sunrise to noon
• Nearest Metro: Girish Park

College Square

College Square is a photographer’s delight, with its lake reflecting the grand idol, arches, and glowing lights in ripples of devotion. The tranquil waters, incense-filled air, and communal prayers combine to create a visual and spiritual masterpiece best witnessed at twilight.

• Best time to visit: Twilight and night
• Nearest Metro: Central

Kashi Bose Lane

Tucked within narrow alleys, Kashi Bose Lane creates a personal, immersive puja experience. Wood, cane, and cloth are finely detailed to frame the idol like a jewel. Volunteers maintain smooth darshan flow, making it one of the most organised neighbourhood pandals.

• Best time to visit: Evening cultural hours
• Nearest Metro: Shyambazar

Nalin Sarkar Street

Nalin Sarkar Street stands out for its minimalist approach and classical beauty. The pandal uses muted colours and sculptural simplicity, focusing all attention on the dignified idol. Chanting mantras, calm lighting, and the distribution of prasad create an atmosphere of restraint and devotion.

• Best time to visit: Morning or evening
• Nearest Metro: Sobhbazar–Sutanuti

Hatibagan

Hatibagan celebrates Durga Puja with lively neighbourhood energy in the middle of a busy market. The pandal combines heritage décor with festive warmth, where dhaak beats, dhunuchi dances, and hearty bhog distribution make it a communal celebration full of spirit and joy.

• Best time to visit: Evening peak hours
• Nearest Metro: Shyambazar

South Kolkata- Themed Powerhouses

Ekdalia Evergreen

Ekdalia Evergreen is famous for its temple-style grandeur, complete with carved pillars, symmetrical arches, and Vedic chants echoing through the pandal. The majestic idol and glowing ritual lamps create a sacred, structured space that feels like stepping into an ancient shrine.

• Best time to visit: Evening rituals
• Nearest Metro: Kalighat

Deshapriya Park

Deshapriya Park is one of Kolkata’s most theatrical and large-scale pujas, featuring monumental storytelling through sculpture and light. Mythological scenes come alive against dramatic backdrops, while cultural recitals and grand aartis make this pandal a spectacle rooted firmly in tradition.

• Best time to visit: Evening/night
• Nearest Metro: Kalighat or Rabindra Sarobar

Jodhpur Park

Jodhpur Park transforms its pandal into a poetic journey through myth and metaphor. Textured décor, soundscapes, and shifting lights guide visitors toward the idol, which stands as the spiritual core. Every corner feels like a verse in a moving devotional story.

• Best time to visit: Cultural evenings
• Nearest Metro: Rabindra Sarobar

Ballygunge Cultural

Ballygunge Cultural strikes a balance of modern elegance and devotion, using minimalist design, glowing idols, and inclusive rituals. The pandal’s welcoming environment, thoughtful layouts, and warm volunteers ensure visitors feel part of the spiritual celebration, not just observers of grandeur.

• Best time to visit: Morning or evening
• Nearest Metro: Ballygunge (suburban rail) or Kalighat Metro

Naktala Udayan Sangha

Naktala Udayan Sangha reimagines Durga Puja with eco-conscious creativity, using bamboo, jute, and reclaimed materials. Each design element links faith to sustainability, teaching visitors about environmental responsibility while maintaining a grounded, devotional ambience that feels both modern and timeless.

• Best time to visit: Daytime for details
• Nearest Metro: Gitanjali

Mudiali Club

Mudiali Club creates a meditative river-inspired setting, with water motifs, floating lights, and soft, earthy tones. The pandal radiates serenity, making visitors linger in quiet devotion. The dhunuchi naach here feels deeply spiritual rather than performative, enhancing its peaceful mood.

• Best time to visit: Evening aarti
• Nearest Metro: Kalighat

Salt Lake, Lake Town & New Town- Grand Spectacles

Sreebhumi Sporting Club

Sreebhumi Sporting Club is a crowd-puller known for opulence, with palatial façades, shimmering décor, and glittering light sequences. Each year, it recreates iconic structures or themes on a grand scale, turning the pandal into a regal wonderland for festive visitors.

• Best time to visit: Late evening
• Nearest Metro: Belgachia or Ultadanga

Dumdum Park Cluster

The Dumdum Park Cluster thrives on bold themes and artistic experimentation, where neighbouring clubs compete with immersive corridors, sculptural entrances, and mythic tableaux. Together, they create a “festival within a festival” that’s as visually striking as it is devotional.

• Best time to visit: Night hours
• Nearest Metro: Dumdum

Salt Lake Block Pujas

The Salt Lake Block Pujas are community-centric and elegantly simple, focusing on devotion over grandeur. Clean layouts, accessible rituals, and inclusive bhog distribution make them family-friendly pandals. The emphasis here is on spirituality, order, and togetherness rather than flashy design.

• Best time to visit: Daytime with family
• Nearest Metro: Salt Lake Sector V

Durga Puja Rituals You Must Witness

Ashtami Anjali: On the morning of Ashtami, devotees gather with folded hands as conch shells sound and priests chant in a steady rhythm. Participants offer flowers or bel leaves with devotion, while others respectfully step aside. Phones should remain silent to preserve the sanctity of the ritual.

Sandhi Puja (Between Ashtami and Navami): Sandhi Puja is a powerful hour marked by 108 lamps and intense drumbeats. Visitors should arrive early, stand at the periphery, and avoid blocking the aisles. Silence is essential, and chatter or flash photography must be avoided. Volunteer instructions must always be followed.

Dhunuchi Naach: During Dhunuchi Naach, dancers sway with clay censers of burning incense to the rhythm of dhaak. Visitors must maintain a safe distance, as the censers carry hot embers. Photos are allowed from behind marked lines, but without flash or obstructing others.

Sindoor Khela (Dashami Afternoon): On Dashami, married women smear vermilion in a symbolic farewell to the Goddess. This is an intimate ritual that should be observed with sensitivity. Photographs should only be taken from a respectful distance, and clothes and cameras must be protected from sindoor.

Visarjan (Immersion): Visarjan processions head toward the ghats in a colourful and emotional farewell. Visitors should watch from designated zones, follow police guidance, and never push toward the waterline. Space must be left for idol bearers, and blessings should be carried home as cherished memories.

What to Eat in Kolkata During Durga Puja

1. Bhog Prasad Classics
   During bhog at community pujas, you’ll typically be served a comforting plate of moong-dal khichuri with mixed vegetable labra, crispy beguni, crunchy papad, and tangy tomato or date chutney, rounded off with a creamy serving of payesh.
2. Traditional Additions
   In some pandals, especially more traditional or older ones, the meal may include luchi or radhaballavi paired with rich cholar dal or a delicately spiced chhanar dalna, offering a more indulgent variation.
3. Street Eats Between Pandals
   Kolkata’s streets turn into bustling food zones during Puja, offering favourites like spicy kathi rolls, crispy phuchka, and tangy jhalmuri, along with assorted telebhaja like peyaji, phuluri, and beguni to munch on as you walk.
4. Hearty Evening Snacks
   If you’re in the mood for something filling, you’ll find delicious options like ghugni, golden fish fry, dimer devil, chicken cutlet, keema toast, and even light biryani plates served hot and fresh from street-side stalls.
5. Sweet Finishes
   The city’s sweet shops come alive with festive staples like roshogolla, sandesh (classic, malai, pista), mishti doi, pantua, rasmalai, kheer kodom, and syrupy chomchom—perfect for rounding off a hearty Puja meal.

10 Tips to Enjoy Durga Puja in Kolkata 2025

1. Choose early mornings and late-night visits for quiet darshan and smoother queues
2. Cluster your route into three circuits: North–Central, South, and Salt Lake–Lake Town–New Town.
3. Use the Metro for long hops and walk the last mile while staying flexible for temporary barricades and one-way flows. Kolkata Metro also runs past midnight on Saptami, Ashtami and Navami.
4. Keep the Kolkata Police Durga Puja Guide Maps on your phone or in print and follow volunteer hand signals at all times.
5. Dress modestly, remove shoes where indicated, keep phones on silent, and avoid flash in tight interiors.
6. Respect queues by staying in the flow, stepping aside after two quick photos, and never stepping onto barricaded platforms.
7. Set a fixed regroup point near each pandal and use live location only as a backup.
8. Kolkata might witness rainfall during Durga Puja 2025, so plan accordingly. Carry an umbrella or a raincoat with you.
9. Seniors can now enjoy Durga Puja comfortably from home through virtual pandal hopping as various online platforms live-stream rituals and offer guided online tours.
10. Pace yourself at two to three pandals per hour by day and one to two at peak night with short food and water halts.

3-Day Itinerary for Kolkata Durga Puja 2025

Day 1: Heritage & Riverside Charm (North & Central Kolkata)

• Morning: Visit Bagbazar Sarbojanin and Ahiritola Sarbojanin; watch Bodhon or Kola Bou rituals if on Shashthi/Saptami.
• Midday: Explore Kumartuli Park, admiring idol craftsmanship.
• Lunch: Relish bhog prasad—khichuri, labra, beguni, chutney, and payesh.
• Evening: Head to College Square for lake reflections, then to Hatibagan for dhaak, dhunuchi naach, and snacks like phuchka, jhalmuri, and fish fry.

Day 2: Themed Spectacles & Rituals (South Kolkata)

• Morning: Join Ashtami Anjali at Ekdalia Evergreen; continue to Ballygunge Cultural.
• Afternoon: Savour kathi rolls and crispy telebhaja.
• Evening: Explore themed pandals at Deshapriya Park and Jodhpur Park.
• Night: Experience the intense Sandhi Puja with 108 lamps, then visit Mudiali Club. End with roshogolla or mishti doi.

Day 3: Grand Opulence & Farewell (Salt Lake & Lake Town)

• Morning: Start at Salt Lake Block Pujas for family-friendly rituals.
• Afternoon: Visit the Dumdum Park Cluster and enjoy ghugni and chicken cutlet.
• Evening: Conclude at Sreebhumi Sporting Club for dazzling lights and aartis.
• Dashami Special: Witness Sindoor Khela in the afternoon and the emotional Visarjan processions after dark.

Conclusion

As the dhaak slows and the lamps fade, Durga Puja 2025 in Kolkata leaves behind more than memories. It leaves blessings. You have walked through heritage pandals, admired themed creations, shared bhog prasad, and witnessed rituals that unite faith with festivity.

Kolkata’s Durga Puja is not just a festival. It is an embrace of tradition, artistry, and community spirit. Carry home the strength of the Goddess, the warmth of the city, and the promise to return. Whether you are a first-time visitor or a returning devotee, the festival will always welcome you back with open arms and beating drums.