Durga Puja 2023: From replicas of ISRO’s Vikram lander to Disneyland Paris, these 7 pandals with exciting themes in Kolkata are a must-visit

Application for leaves filling HR portals, the smell of night jasmine in the air, and waking up to the sound of dhak can mean only one thing—Durga Puja is around the corner. In 2021, UNESCO declared the festival as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; a tradition that originated sometime in the 16th century.

As Kolkata gears up for its largest festival, and the five days of revelry it brings, pandals across the city have opened their doors to streams of eager early visitors. After two years of virtual pandal-hopping and a cautious return to physical form in 2022, the stakes are high. 2023 is the year Durga Puja returns to the city in its truest form and both organisers and cityfolk are determined to leave no stone unturned.

This includes conceptualising themes (for pandals) that are both socially relevant and a feast for the eyes. The experimentation with immersive designs was already in motion pre-pandemic; but this year, the city has truly upped the ante. From pandals posing as replicas of Disneyland in Paris and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to doubling up as ISRO’s Vikram lander—these seven pandals across the city warrant a visit.

Replicas of ISRO’s Vikram lander, Hogwarts & Paris Disneyland—7 Durga Puja pandals with exciting themes in Kolkata you have to visit

Where: Lake Town

Situated in the heart of Lake Town, South Dumdum, Sreebhumi Sporting Club is among the city’s finest when it comes to its larger-than-life Durga Puja themes. In 2021, it put together a towering Burj Khalifa pandal, and in 2022, it replicated the Vatican City.

This year, the theme is based on one of the world’s greatest tourist attractions—Disneyland Paris. The brainchild of artists Romeo Hazra and Sandip Hazra, the pandal features 11 towers in pink, white, and lavender, with two chariots and 10 Disney characters. Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho is set to inaugurate the pandal.

Theme: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry

Where: Sodepur

The letter from Hogwarts has finally arrived. This year, the city’s Sodepur Nabin Sangha has modelled their Durga Puja pandal on the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry for Potterheads to take in the magic. From the majestic castle’s towering peaks to the Hogwarts Express, the pandal features all the elements of the fictional school. Harry Potter-themed installations and projections litter the inside of the pandal, with a giant Acromantula and figures in traditional Hogwarts robes drawing eyeballs.

Theme: Vikram lander (ISRO’s achievement with Chandrayaan-3)

Where: Central Kolkata

India scripted history on 23 August with ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, leading India to become the first nation to land a spacecraft near the moon's south pole. To celebrate this monumental event, the Pallir Yubak Brinda Club, located ​​​​at the junction of Sitaram Ghosh Street, Nabin Chandra Paul Lane and Beniatola Lane in Central Kolkata, has replicated India's successful moon mission with the theme ‘Chandralok-e Uma’ (Goddess Durga on the Moon). According to PTI, the Goddess will be seen standing inside the Vikram lander, and once visitors enter the main 'mandap', they will (with the help of visual effects) be able to see the landing of Vikram on one side, and the earth's view from the moon on the other. The model of the rover Pragyan will also be placed beside Vikram.

Theme: Egyptian Pyramids

Where: Belgharia

This Durga Puja, the Belgharia 17 Pally has come up with a unique theme: a pandal based on the historic pyramids in Egypt. The pandal reportedly comprises four pyramids set on white sand, with hieroglyphs and carvings on the wall, and sculptures of camels and mummies on the outside. Fancy a trip to Giza?

Theme: Menstrual Hygiene

Where: Santoshpur

In Kolkata, the themes of several Durga Puja pandals are designed to highlight social issues. This year, Santoshpur’s Pathuriaghata Pancher Pally explores an important social taboo—menstrual hygiene. The theme, ‘Ritumati’ has been set with the objective of questioning the (still) prevalent stigma attached to menstruation. The pandal will make its point clear with immersive installation art featuring paintings, models, and graphics around the subject.

Theme: Macau’s Grand Lisboa Hotel

Where: Kalyani

North Kolkata Durga Puja pandals are always majestic, if somewhat traditional. This year, however, the committees are going international. The Luminous Club has created a duplicate of Macau’s iconic Grand Lisboa Hotel in the Kalyani Durga Puja Pandal. Speaking to The Hindu, Kanai Chowdhury, social media manager of The Luminous Club says: “The pandal is 182 feet tall and is being made of structures from buses like skirt, crib and side rails. Colourful reflecting glass will blanket the interiors and the mandap (platform for rituals).” Last year, the pandal made quite a buzz with its Petronas Twin Towers theme.

Theme: Art by Abanindranath Tagore

Where: North Kolkata

Abanindranath Tagore, founder of the Bengal School of Art, and the nephew of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, has left an indelible mark in the state’s enriching art history. As a tribute to the visionary, the Tala Barowari Durgotsab pandal has made its theme his artwork, with replicas of his priceless paintings and sculptures being set on the pandal’s side panels. Additionally, the pandal also details the family tree of the Tagores, who lived in their ancestral home of Jorasanko Thakurbari.