Is Kolkata’s iconic Durga Puja festival gradually being taken over by corporate interests?
A new initiative by the West Bengal government has put the spotlight on the growing role of big business in the festival, with the Adani Group set to organise this year’s Durga Puja Preview Tour in a corporate-style format.
The three-day event will be held from 10 to 12 October. The initiative aims to showcase the tradition, art, culture and grandeur of Kolkata’s Durga Puja on an international platform.
Diplomats, foreign guests, cultural personalities, artists, academics and representatives of the corporate sector will be taken to eight to 10 Durga Puja venues in Kolkata before the main festival begins.
The West Bengal government’s administrative headquarters is Nabanna. The state Information and Cultural Affairs Department has agreed to entrust the Adani Group with organising the preview tour.
The tour will take place from 6pm until 4am the following morning each day. Sanjay Thare, an adviser to the Adani Group, will coordinate with the state Information and Cultural Affairs Department and oversee the programme.
Sanjay Thare said the objective of the initiative was to showcase the scale and cultural diversity of Kolkata’s Durga Puja to representatives from India and abroad. According to him, the organisers want to establish Durga Puja as one of the world’s most recognised festivals.
A special expert committee will decide which pujas will be included in the preview tour. Several factors will be considered, including the level of preparation by Mahalaya, location, management efficiency, artistic concept, public safety and ease of movement for visitors.
In previous preview tours, a total of 24 pujas, including popular theme-based pujas from north and south Kolkata, were included. This year, traditional pujas are also expected to receive importance alongside theme-based pujas.
According to the organisers, the preview tour will not interfere with regular festival activities or public visiting hours during the Durga Puja celebrations. The programme will be held after Mahalaya and before the main days of the festival.
Sanjay Thare said entry to the preview tour would be completely free of charge.
The initiative will also involve financial assistance. Around eight puja committees and their artists are reportedly planned to receive grants. According to sources, the Adani Group will separately provide financial assistance to these puja committees.
The organisers hope the assistance will help improve the quality of puja art, heritage, grandeur and hospitality, while also providing long-term benefits to the state’s micro, small and medium enterprises.
A QR code-based digital system will be introduced for entry to the preview tour. Interested guests will have to apply through a designated website. The organising agency will be responsible for the information technology and entry-management arrangements.
It may be recalled that an organisation called MassArt used to organise the preview tour in the past. After the change of government, the event became the subject of controversy. Allegations were also made that tickets for the preview tour were being sold at high prices.
An FIR was subsequently lodged against former Tourism Minister Indranil Sen, his wife and several officials of MassArt. MassArt, however, denied the allegations.
