Durga Puja 2026 Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a series of major changes for Durga Puja 2026, the first edition of the festival under the BJP-led state government.
At a meeting with representatives of Durga Puja committees at Milan Mela Prangan on Monday, the government announced financial assistance of up to ₹1 lakh for eligible puja committees, while appealing to large-budget organisers to voluntarily give up government aid. The state has also announced that puja committees will not have to pay for electricity and fire safety licences this year.
The state government had provided ₹1.10 lakh to each Durga Puja committee in 2025. This year, the assistance has been reduced to ₹1 lakh.
However, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has urged large-budget pujas that can afford to organise their celebrations without government support to refrain from taking the grant. The assistance is primarily intended for committees that require financial support to conduct their celebrations.
The government is expected to scrutinise applications before releasing the assistance.
Puja committees will receive significant financial relief through the waiver of electricity-related charges. Fire safety licences will also be issued without a fee, reducing some of the regulatory and operational expenses associated with organising large community celebrations.
Another significant change concerns the timing of puja inaugurations. The Chief Minister has made it clear that no Durga Puja pandal will be formally inaugurated before Mahalaya.
The decision marks a departure from the practice in recent years when several major pujas in Kolkata and other parts of Bengal were inaugurated well before Mahalaya.
The traditional Durga Puja Carnival will not be held this year. Instead, the state government plans a major cultural programme at Eden Gardens on Mahalaya to formally mark the beginning of the festive season.
The event is expected to run for around four hours and feature cultural performances, drone shows and fireworks.
The government has also issued directions concerning immersion. The immersion process is to be completed by October 24, while the use of cranes for idol immersion has been prohibited.
Puja committees have additionally been advised to remain sensitive to Bengal’s cultural and religious traditions while designing themes and pandals.
The announcements signal a significant change in the way Durga Puja will be administered and celebrated in Bengal this year, with the government replacing the earlier carnival format with a large Mahalaya-centric cultural programme.
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