Kolkata Durga Puja organisers are covering pandals, changing installation materials and creating visitor shelters as rain disrupts preparations across the city, with several celebrations scheduled to open in about a week. Wet and slippery conditions have slowed construction, interrupted electrical work and complicated the movement of idols from Kumartuli to festival venues.
The precautions followed an intense thundershower that affected parts of Kolkata and further rain on Wednesday. Committees at pandals in parks and open grounds have covered outdoor sections, moved materials indoors where possible and paused work during showers. Some venues have also placed wooden planks on wet surfaces to help workers and visitors move safely.
At Deshapriya Park Durgotsab, rain has slowed construction and prompted organisers to cover parts of the venue to prevent damage. Decorators have been instructed to work carefully, while electrical activity is being carried out only after wet areas are dried. Organisers have also kept the electrical meter in a safe location before electricians resume work.
“The rain is slowing down the pace of the work. We have covered some of the area to prevent any damage from the rain. The decorators are working carefully, prioritising the safety of the workers. The Puja will open on Oct 14, so we barely have a week’s time to complete the work,” Abhishek De Biswas, spokesperson for Deshapriya Park Durgotsab, was quoted as saying.
At Bhagabati Park Sarbojanin near Diamond Plaza on Jessore Road, organisers have built a shelter outside the pandal so visitors can take refuge during showers. The committee has also modified its outdoor installation plans. Materials that were originally intended to be made from cloth are now being replaced with plywood, according to Anik Acharya, secretary of Bhagabati Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja.
The material changes reflect the immediate challenge faced by open-air festival venues during wet weather. Plywood installations can provide a more rigid outdoor surface than cloth, while covered areas may help protect visitors and workers from rain. The report does not indicate whether similar changes have been adopted uniformly across the city.
At College Square, preparations were halted on Tuesday evening and Wednesday as organisers avoided sending workers into slippery conditions. “The rain is slowing down the work, but we do not want to take any chances,” Bikash Majumdar, chief organiser of the College Square Sarbojanin Durgotsab Committee, was quoted as saying.
Rain has also affected Kumartuli, Kolkata’s principal idol-making district, during the final stages of painting and finishing. Completed idols are being wrapped in plastic sheets while they are transported to pandals. Idol-makers, however, face a delicate balance: the images must be protected from rain, but handling them before the paint has dried properly can also create difficulties.
The weather is therefore affecting multiple links in the festival’s urban chain, from workshop finishing and road transport to temporary construction, electrical installation and public movement at venues. Organisers are continuing work where conditions permit, while pausing activity during showers and prioritising the safety of workers before electrical work resumes.
