Dussehra in Kolkata

Celebrate the victory of good over evil over 10 days

If you’re travelling through India in the month of October, be sure to take in the sights and sounds of the Navratri festival, culminating in the Dusshera celebrations. Legend has it, that Lord Durga fought for 9 days and 9 nights (the word ‘navratri’ means 9 nights) to slay the half-man, half-bull demon, Mahishasur. Each of the 9 days, she assumed a different feminine form in her battle against the demon – and the festival celebrates each of them and their divine powers.

Kolkata’s Dussehra celebrations are renowned, and it is the region’s most-awaited festival. Huge ‘pandals‘ or temporary, wooden structures are erected across the city to house beautifully-painted, live-sized clay idols of the goddess. These ‘pandals’ have been getting more and more creative over the years and represent the goddess in various stages of battle. As per tradition, the idols are worshiped for the first five days and then immersed in water. Food stalls selling varieties of savoury snacks and Bengal’s signature sweetmeats are hotspots of activity and the ferris wheels, craft shops, cultural entertainment add to the carnivalesque atmostphere.