Kolkata's Metro-themed Durga Puja Pandal Shines Bright This Year: 'Talk About Creativity'

Durga Puja is one of the most revered festivals that celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over the shape-changing demon Mahishasura. As the festivities kick off today, October 8, West Bengal is already abuzz with vibrant pandals with Bengali classics, and tempting food stalls. A video of one such creative pandal has gone viral on social media, eliciting numerous responses from people.

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The video was shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) by a user Abir Ghoshal with the caption, “Believe me, it’s a Puja pandal in Kolkata.” The video opens to show the entrance of the metro-themed puja pandal. Complete with seats, handrails, and grab handles, it mimics the look and feel of a real metro station. It also has screens and one can also hear announcements, just like metros. What’s more, the pandal also has a platform with escalators and and exit signs that make it nearly indistinguishable from an actual metro platform, leaving people absolutely amazed at the level of creativity on display.

This creative pandal is set up at Jagat Mukherjee Park. Dwaipayan Roy, one of the chief organisers of the pandal, said that it is designed to give visitors an authentic feel of being inside a Green Line metro coach.

“It took months of research and multiple trips in the metro for us to engineer the authentic feel of being in the under-river metro for our pandal. We also met Metro Rail authorities a few times, and even though they are not directly associated with us, their guidance helped materialise our idea,” artist Subal Pal told The Hindu.

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It also has a motor housed in it to imitate as if people are on a moving metro. Pal added, “One can also feel the train slowing down as visitors approach the exit gate of the coach to deboard. Engineers and artists came together to accomplish the final product.”

Watch the video below:

The video was shared on October 7. It has since accumulated over 8.5 lakh views and the numbers are still increasing. Many even took to the comments section of the post to share their thoughts. While many gave full marks for creativity, others were concerned about the stampede-like situation in peak gathering.

Check out how people reacted to this video:

“It’s truly iconic,” said an individual, while another commented, “Wow! That is so amazing.”

“Wow! Talk about creativity,” expressed a third.

A fourth posted, “Creative geniuses. The kind of art and creativity you get to see in Kolkata pandals during Durga Puja is unparalleled. Each and every pandal is so unique.”

“This is so narrow, could be claustrophobic if a lot of crowd comes , hope of no stampede,” wrote a fifth, with another echoing, “Looking good but I think it’s not safe if over crowded.”

A seventh added, “I once had the chance to see Durga Puja in Kolkata, and trust me, it was an unbelievable experience. Their creative side is unreal. Anyone seeking creativity should spend at least once in their lifetime in Kolkata during Durga Puja. The city truly gives off good old vibes.”