For five days in October, Kolkata stops being a city and becomes one enormous celebration. Streets are closed to traffic, lanes fill with the sound of dhak drums, and every neighbourhood builds its own temporary palace for the goddess.
Durga Puja in Kolkata runs from Shashthi to Dashami, 16 to 20 October in 2026, and the real fun is pandal hopping: walking from one themed pandal to the next, often until the early hours of the morning. In 2021, UNESCO added Durga Puja in Kolkata to its list of intangible cultural heritage.
If you have never done it, it can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks it down: when to go, which areas to cover, a two-day route, how to get around, and what to eat along the way.
When to go: day by day
If you can, plan for more than one day, because each day has a different mood. Here is how 2026 falls.
| Day | Date | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Shashthi | Fri, 16 Oct | The goddess is welcomed and pandals open. Evening crowds are huge. |
| Saptami | Sat, 17 Oct | The festival is in full swing, and it is a weekend. |
| Ashtami | Sun, 18 Oct | Sandhi Puja, Pushpanjali and Kumari Puja. Another weekend day, so expect the heaviest crowds. |
| Navami | Mon, 19 Oct | The last full day of worship, with long late-night crowds. |
| Dashami | Tue, 20 Oct | Sindoor Khela in the morning, then Bishorjon through the evening. |
Pandal hopping has also been starting earlier each year, with crowds building from Mahalaya in recent years. My tip is to see your most-wanted pandals in the daytime or on Shashthi evening, and leave the late nights for wandering and food.
North vs South Kolkata: which to see first
North Kolkata is where the festival feels oldest, with heritage lanes, century-old community pujas and the bonedi bari family courtyards. South Kolkata is where you find the big, artistic, theme-led pandals that make headlines every year. Most locals suggest covering one area per evening so you are not stuck in traffic.
| Area | Pandal | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| North | Bagbazar Sarbojanin Durgotsav | One of the city’s oldest pujas, over a century old, near the Hooghly |
| North | Kumartuli Park | Founded in 1995, with idols made by the neighbourhood’s own clay artists |
| North | College Square | A pandal set beside a lake, near Kolkata University |
| North | Hatibagan Nabin Pally | A North Kolkata favourite with a local feel, in a busy shopping area |
| North | Chaltabagan Lohapatty | One of the oldest pujas in North Kolkata |
| South | Ekdalia Evergreen | One of the oldest in the south, known for tall idols and big sets |
| South | Singhi Park Sarbojanin | A multi-award-winning puja, so expect crowds |
| South | Suruchi Sangha | In New Alipore, over 50 years old and a huge crowd-puller |
| South | Santosh Mitra Square | A long-time favourite of pandal hoppers |
| South | Deshapriya Park | Known for design-forward themes |
| South | Naktala Udayan Sangha | Founded in 1950 and known for inventive themes |
Themes change every year, so this table tells you where to find the big names rather than what you will see in 2026. Check this year’s themes in the local news or on the official pandal map a few days before you go.
After midnight, many pandal hoppers wind down at Maddox Square, a late-night gathering spot in the south.
A two-day route you can follow
This plan gives one area to each day. Use the official pandal map to decide the exact walking order, since lanes get closed on the day.
Day 1: North Kolkata, the heritage day
- Start in the morning at Kumartuli Park and the lanes around it, when it is quiet.
- Walk to Bagbazar Sarbojanin Durgotsav, near the river, while the crowds are still small.
- Spend the afternoon in Shobhabazar and the nearby old family pujas, if you can get in.
- In the evening, head to Hatibagan Nabin Pally and the shops around it. Shyambazar metro is the closest station for this stretch.
- End at College Square, where the lakeside lighting looks best after dark. MG Road metro is the nearest station.
Day 2: South Kolkata, the artistic day
- Start in the late afternoon at Ekdalia Evergreen in Gariahat.
- Continue to Singhi Park Sarbojanin and Suruchi Sangha.
- After dinner, see Santosh Mitra Square and Deshapriya Park, two of the south’s best-known pujas.
- Finish at Maddox Square for late-night food and conversation.
Don’t try to see more than five or six pandals in one outing. The queues at the big ones can take over an hour, and this is a long walking day.
Getting around: the practical bits
The golden rule of pandal hopping in Kolkata is that you will walk, a lot.
- Take the metro. It is the easiest way to avoid the traffic, and many big pandals are a short walk from a station. Buy or top up a metro card before the Puja so you are not queueing at the counter. In past years the metro has run later on the main days, so check this year’s timings.
- Don’t count on cabs. Police barricade large stretches of road, and cabs often drop you around half a kilometre from the pandal. Parking your own car is a headache, so leave it behind.
- Expect diversions. Traffic is rerouted depending on the crowd, so give yourself extra time between pandals.
- Wear broken-in shoes. Shoe bites are the most common complaint of the Puja. Carry band-aids and water, because October in Kolkata is warm and humid.
- Travel light. Theft happens in crowds, so carry only your phone, a little cash and a small bag, and keep them close.
- Start early. Arriving early gets you better views and shorter queues. Move on quickly once you are inside, because organisers and police want to keep the crowd flowing.
- Download the official pandal map. It marks walking trails and can save you from wandering in circles.
- Mind your manners. Dress modestly, don’t block lanes for selfies, and ask before photographing people during rituals.
What to eat while pandal hopping
In Kolkata, food is half the festival, and the stalls lining the pandals are a big part of it.
- Street food: Phuchka, jhalmuri, ghugni, egg rolls and mughlai paratha. For rolls, Nizam’s is a classic stop.
- Community bhog: Many pandals serve khichuri, labra (mixed vegetables), chutney and payesh to everyone who visits. It is often the best meal of the day.
- Kolkata biryani: Famously made with potato, and a late-night favourite.
- Sweets: Rosogolla, sandesh and mishti doi. Old-school shops like Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick are worth a detour.
- Cha: Hot tea in a clay bhar is the best way to rest your feet between pandals.
Tip: Pace yourself. It is easy to fill up on the first stall you see and miss the rest.
Beyond the pandals
The themed pandals get the headlines, but some of Kolkata’s most memorable moments happen away from them.
Bonedi bari pujas. These are the old family pujas of Kolkata’s heritage households, some more than two centuries old. They are quieter and more ritual-focused than the community pandals. Sandhi Puja on Ashtami evening, held at the junction of Ashtami and Navami, is especially atmospheric. The pujas in Sovabazar and at Rani Rashmoni’s house in Janbazar are well known, but access varies, so check ahead whether they welcome visitors.
Kumartuli. The potters’ quarter is where the idols are made. The studios are busiest in the weeks before the Puja, so by Shashthi most idols have already left, but the lanes still tell the story of how the festival is made.
Sindoor Khela and Bishorjon. On Dashami, the morning belongs to Sindoor Khela, when married women smear each other with vermilion. By evening, idols are carried in processions to the Hooghly for immersion. It is emotional and loud, and the one day of the festival that feels like a goodbye.
Where to stay and when to book
Durga Puja is peak tourist season in Kolkata, so book trains, flights and hotels as early as you can. If you are planning at the last minute, check availability right away.
The best choice is a hotel near a metro station, which saves both money and time. If you are splitting your trip between north and south, a central metro interchange such as Esplanade keeps both areas within reach. Staying close to where you plan to spend your evenings also saves you from a long ride home through the closed roads.
Let the city carry you
The best advice for a first-timer is to plan a little and wander a lot. Pick an area, start early, wear comfortable shoes, and then let the lanes, the lights and the dhak lead you.
You will probably miss a few pandals you meant to see. That is part of it. What you will remember is the smell of incense and frying luchi, a stranger sharing a cup of cha, and the moment you step into a pandal and the whole noisy city goes quiet in front of the goddess.
If you are heading to Kolkata this season, tell me which area you are planning to cover first. And if you are staying home, read my guide to Navratri traditions
Happy Sundaying! Jay Maa Durga…
