The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (WBTDCL) will be organising river cruises along River Hooghly as part of its Pujo Parikrama during Durga Puja this year. There will be two categories of cruises available—leisure cruise and a cruise for watching immersions of Durga idols at Babughat. All the cruises will commence their journey from the New Babughat jetty.

Apart from this cruise addition, here are some things that you shouldn’t miss if you are in Kolkata during Durga Puja.

Pandal hopping

If you want to get the true feel of puja, pandal hopping is something that you shouldn’t miss. From theme that include horror, Thai-style pagodas, Egyptian culture, every pandal is a piece of art that showcases certain themes. Spread across huge open space, these pandals overwhelm the puja scene in Kolkata. And since puja is celebrated for around five days, you can plan as per your convenience for each day and go on a pandal-hopping spree.

Food trail

Durga Puja in Kolkata is, obviously, a time to feast. You will find food stalls inside and around every pandal, set up by food vendors, city restaurants, and neighbourhood residents too. Every street turns into a long trail of food items, with baked goods to home-made fritters, pizzas, chaat papdi, chops and cutlets, Calcutta kathi rolls, delectable biryanis, and much more.

Getting to know the culture

Durga Puja is the best time to know about the culture of this place from close quarters. Almost all the pandals host cultural performances after the evening aarti is over. While going on a pandal-hopping spree, you can check and pick from a host of dance and music performances, stand-up performance, as well as Bangla rock gigs. Then, there are popular pandals that invite celebrities and professionals for their evening shows. Most of them have websites and social media pages, with all the events listed so you can plan before making plans.

Source: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com