Noida embraces Durga Puja religious fervour

Noida celebrates Durga Puja with vibrant pandals, including replicas of Kedarnath and Badrinath temples, showcasing culture and tradition from Sept 27 to Oct 2.

As the air fills with fresh shiuli fragrance and the rhythmic beat of dhaak, Noida, like other cities, has also come alive with the jubilant spirit of Durga Puja. Committees across the city have transformed neighbourhoods with dazzling pandals that are vibrant canvases of culture, art, and tradition.

A Durga Puja pandal in Noida created by Sector 34 Durga Puja Committee. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The Durga Puja celebrations this year are being held between September 27 and October 2.

Magnificent idols have unfurled across the pandals in the city with full glory. The Noida Kalibari in Sector 26 is celebrating their 43rd Durga Puja this year. Anupam Banerjee, vice president of the committee said their pandal is a replica of the Kedarnath temple this year. “This gives devotees, particularly those who haven’t been able to visit the temple, a chance to experience its divine architecture in Noida,” Banerjee said.

The key architectural feature is a strong, fortress-like base structure with thick walls, replicating the original stone masonry of the Himalayan shrine. As a temporary installation, the structure is made of recyclable materials. Further, this replica uses a simplified and brightly contrasting palette of white, blue, and orange.

In Sector 134, the Wishtown Cultural Association has designed the pandal as a temple-like structure, adorned with red and golden colours, representing the history of Durga Puja.

Abhishek Biswas, the creative head said, “This year’s pandal is a walk down the history of Durga Puja that tells the evolutionary tale of the festival through carefully curated panels and installations. It is an artistic pilgrimage from the sacred temple steps to the modern-day community gatherings in cities and townships. At the heart of the pandal sits the traditional clay idol of Maa Durga, adorned in classic Bengali attire. The backdrop features a ‘kulo’ (winnowing fan/tray), a symbol of agrarian Bengal. The kulo is not just decorative; it echoes the spirit of homecoming, of welcoming Maa Durga into our lives with devotion and open hearts.”

In Indirapuram’s Shipra Suncity, the Bongotoru society is celebrating 25 years of their formation. Silky Chopra, spokesperson of the society, said, “This year’s Durga Puja pandal, with the theme ‘Swapner 25,’ pays tribute to the founding dream of creating a home away from home for Bengalis in Delhi-NCR. It reflects Bongotoru’s evolution into today’s vibrant scale while preserving the essence of togetherness and cultural pride.”

Singer-composer Anindya Bose composed a theme song and actress Bhagyashree Patwardhan Dassani unveiled the silver jubilee celebrations at the Bongoturu celebration.

For those seeking a taste of rural Bengal, the Saptarshi Sangha Trust in Sector 50 offers a true feast for the senses. Somnath Dutta, a director, explained that their pandal portrays the “taste of rural Bengal, especially the area of Purulia,” through a combination of diverse art forms like photography and painting.

This year’s display in Sector 50 is made even more special with a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore, one of Bengal’s most beloved and influential figures.