Durga Puja revellers flock early to pandals in West Bengal fearing rain 

Durga Puja revellers deed the streets of Kolkata successful ample numbers connected Sunday (September 28, 2025), expecting atrocious upwind and rainfall implicit the adjacent fewer days. A low-pressure country is apt to signifier implicit the North & adjoining Central Bay of Bengal, and rainfall is forecast.

From north, to south radical pandal hopped successful ample numbers connected the sixth time of the festival. Kolkata received torrential rains connected Monday morning, which claimed 10 lives, but radical person enactment the deluge down them.

“Under the power of the supra anticipated debased unit area, airy to mean rainfall astatine astir places implicit West Bengal with isolated dense to precise dense rainfall precise apt implicit immoderate districts of West Bengal during 2nd to 4th October,” a property connection by the Indian Meteorological Department said.

Metro carries 9.82 lakh

Durga Puja festivities volition highest implicit the adjacent four days of Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami. Over the past fewer years, a inclination has been observed wherever Durga Puja revellers are choosing to sojourn pandals earlier the highest festivities prime up from Saptami. The festival volition reason with the Durga Puja carnival connected the Red Road, scheduled for October 5.

On Saturday, the Kolkata Metro recorded its highest-ever rider number of 9.82 lakhs. “An estimated 9.82 lakh passengers travelled connected antithetic corridors (of the Metro Railway) connected Panchami, September 27,” a connection by the Kolkata Metro said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Man Ki Baat telecast on Sunday, referred to the inclusion of Durga Puja successful Kolkata successful the UNESCO database of intangible practice of humanity successful 2021.

“Friends, immoderate clip ago, connected relationship of akin efforts by the Government of India, Kolkata’s Durga Puja besides became a portion of this UNESCO list. If we accord our taste events specified planetary recognition, the satellite volition besides cognize astir them, recognize them, and travel guardant to enactment successful them,” Mr. Modi said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee besides greeted the radical connected the juncture of Sasthi and shared a opus sung by Trinamool Congress Minister Babul Supriyo.

Meanwhile, organisers astatine Md. Ali Park successful Central Kolkata, who had closed their Puja Pandal connected Saturday aft diversion of routes, opened the pandal connected Sunday aft a gathering with the Kolkata Police.  On Saturday, organisers of Santosh Mitra Square had alleged constabulary harassment implicit their airy and dependable amusement themed connected Operation Sindoor.

Large crowds were besides seen successful the suburbs of the metropolis and successful the districts crossed West Bengal. There are astir 3,000 Durga Puja pandals successful Kolkata and 40,000 crossed the State. The West Bengal authorities has distributed ₹1.10 lakh to each pandal, which outgo the State exchequer ₹500 crore.