Chetla Agrani Durga Puja 2026 in south Kolkata is drawing large crowds with a themed installation that brings together Sri Krishna’s Vishwarupa and the strength represented by women from the Mahabharata, while live kirtan and coordinated crowd management shape the visitor experience.
The puja committee’s theme, “Vishwarupe Bishwarupini”, presents the relationship between Krishna’s cosmic form and the divine feminine power associated with Goddess Durga. The installation is divided into two principal sections. Visitors first encounter a nearly two-storey-high representation of Krishna’s Vishwarupa before moving around the structure and entering the main pavilion.
The interior has been designed in the form of a mother’s womb. Sculptural representations of Ganga, Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi are placed along the route, highlighting the struggles and maternal dimensions associated with these Mahabharata characters. The inner sanctum contains the Durga idol, described by the organisers as having distinctive bamboo-leaf-shaped eyes.
Shaubik Ghosh, a representative of the club, said the theme depicts the union of Krishna as the supreme masculine principle and Goddess Mahamaya as the supreme feminine principle. He said visitors would be able to see the divine and maternal forces together, while the pavilion’s different sections present the struggles and maternal identities of Kunti, Gandhari, Draupadi and Ganga.
The installation has been conceived by artist Ankita Bandyopadhyay and executed under the direction of Subrata Bandyopadhyay. According to the report, preparatory work and workshops began after last year’s Dashami. The workshop is located in Picnic Garden, while work on the main pandal structure began after Ulta Rath.
The organisers have also linked the construction process to local artisan livelihoods. Subrata Bandyopadhyay said the committee uses lower-cost materials and relies on handmade work so that appropriate payments can be made to artisans. He said this approach also presents Bengal’s long-standing handicraft traditions to younger visitors.
Another feature is live music performed with khol and kartal by a group of singers. The organisers said live kirtan was intended to bring an older musical tradition back into wider public attention at a time when recorded soundtracks are more commonly used at pujas.
The installation was already attracting heavy footfall by Panchami. The report said the queue outside the pandal had extended beyond Chetla crossing towards the Kalighat Bridge, while the interior was crowded. Ghosh said Kolkata Police and the organisers’ volunteers were working together to regulate visitor movement and assist people inside and outside the pandal.
The site can be reached from Kalighat or Rabindra Sarobar Metro stations, followed by an auto-rickshaw or bus journey to Chetla Agrani. The organisers’ crowd-control arrangements and police coordination remain central to managing access as visitors continue to arrive during the festival.
