Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations continued on Mahanavami despite the deaths of at least 19 revellers in a stampede at the Chorbagan puja pandal in north Kolkata, with large crowds still visiting marquees across the city on Tuesday.
Mahanavami observances began at 10.51 am on October 19 after the Sandhi Puja, held at the junction of Mahaashtami and Mahanavami. Navami was scheduled to conclude at 12.50 pm on October 20, according to the puja almanac cited in the report.
At puja marquees and in traditional households, devotees took part in worship, Maha Aarti and, in some cases, yagna ceremonies. Community feasts remained a central part of the day, with bhog offerings including luchis, khichuri, vegetables, fish and mutton being served to devotees.
The festival drew substantial footfall across Kolkata as visitors attempted to cover multiple pandals before the celebrations conclude on Wednesday with the immersion of idols on Vijaya Dashami. The continuing crowds underline the operational challenge posed by Durga Puja, when roads remain packed with visitors through the day and night and public movement across neighbourhoods intensifies.
The Santosh Mitra Square marquee in the Bowbazar area continued to attract large crowds after receiving the “Serar Sera” award under the West Bengal government’s Devi Durga Samman 2026. Its pandal presented a Vande Mataram theme through an elaborate architectural design marking the 150th anniversary of the national song.
Other pandals reporting heavy visitor movement included Kashi Bose Lane in Hatibagan, north Kolkata, where the theme was Adim, or “The Primitive Origin”, and Ajeya Sanhati in southern Kolkata, which presented Sarvangsaha, described as an ode to patience and strength.
Durga Puja usually spans five days, but this year’s observances extended across six days, with both Saturday and Sunday marked as Maha Saptami, according to the puja almanac. The extended schedule added to the period during which neighbourhood streets, public approaches and pandal precincts had to accommodate high visitor volumes.
The stampede at Chorbagan has brought the safety risks of large-scale festival gatherings into the same news cycle as the city’s religious observances and cultural celebrations. The report said several people were injured in the incident, but did not provide further details on the circumstances or on administrative measures announced after the deaths.
The final major movement of the festival is expected on Vijaya Dashami, when idols will be immersed. The celebrations are scheduled to conclude on Wednesday, coinciding with Dussehra observed in other parts of India.
