Kolkata’s iconic Park Street, known for Christmas celebrations, set for its first Durga Puja in centuries

For years, Allen Park, in the Park Street area of Kolkata, has been known for its Christmas celebrations. It is set to get a new festive identity this year as it will host a Durga Puja for the first time in centuries. Park Street’s Christmas and New Year celebration is iconic and has attracted scores of people for hundreds of years. However, this year Allen Park will have a new puja organised by the Kolkata Sanatani Sangha, a group headed by several BJP functionaries.

The organisers have reportedly stated that they want a grand celebration rooted in Bengali traditions and Sanatani rituals. Cultural programmes, aarti and prasad distribution have also been planned through the five days of the festival.

The puja committee includes BJP general secretary Navin Mishra as secretary and BJP spokesperson Shankudeb Panda as president.

Mishra, a resident of Park Street, said the idea of bringing a Durga Puja to the locality had been on his mind since he first contested the 2015 civic elections.

He told Times of India, “Park Street has not traditionally been a venue for Durga Puja. There used to be a small puja here more than 200 years ago, but it happened only once or twice. After that, there has been no Durga Puja in Park Street. We are creating history.”
The organisers plan to give the puja a distinctly Bengali character, with performances showcasing Baul folk music and traditions from Purulia, Bankura, North Bengal and other parts of Bengal.

A grand aarti on every evening from Chaturthi to Dashami has also been planned.
“We want people to come to Park Street specifically to see the grand evening aarti from Chaturthi to Dashami just as people visit the Varanasi ghats to see the Ganga aarti. Families from neighbouring districts can come here, enjoy the cultural programmes, have prasad and watch the aarti. We want this puja to be a spectacle while following traditional norms,” Mishra said.

The organisers are considering starting the cultural programmes on Mahalaya, although the formal puja rituals will begin from Chaturthi.

The committee is also reaching out to prominent citizens, businessmen, academics and retired professionals from the locality to serve as patrons. Mishra said the organisers wanted the puja to remain free of political pressure and not inconvenience residents or other visitors.

"We have no objection to anyone celebrating their festival. Christmas should be celebrated beautifully. Park Street has its own charm during Christmas. We want everyone to follow their traditions, while ensuring that our Bengali and Sanatani culture is also represented,” he said.

Allen Park’s history of Christmas celebrations

Allen Park’s association with public celebrations stretches back to the Park Street Carnival, which began at the venue in 2007. The Bengal government later took over the carnival in 2011 and rechristened it the Christmas Festival, making it a major part of Kolkata’s year-end celebrations.

The new Durga Puja at the same spot will add more cultural diversity to the place, which has long been known for celebrating Christmas. Police have already flagged the first puja at Allen Park as a major crowd-management challenge, with the venue expected to become a new attraction during the festive season.