ICHCAP

On 5 October 2025, the Durga Puja Immersion Carnival 2025 was held on a grand scale on Red Road, one of the main thoroughfares in Kolkata, India.

Durga Puja, the largest festival in the state of West Bengal, is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. Beyond a religious celebration, it is a multifaceted cultural event that brings together sculpture, traditional performances and community collaboration. Transforming the entire city into an open stage for art and creativity, the festival is recognized as a form of living heritage within a modern urban setting and was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.

Since its inception in 2016, the carnival has become one of Kolkata’s signature annual cultural events, evolving into a vibrant intangible heritage festival that celebrates tradition, creativity and community spirit through its highlight — the grand procession of goddess idols. This year, a total of 113 award-winning Puja Committees took part, presenting uniquely crafted images of the goddess. The rhythmic beats of the traditional Dhaak drums and synchronized dance performances filled the streets, transforming the city into a dazzling celebration of faith, art and community.

Illuminating the night sky of Kolkata, this year’s festival showcased the collective efforts of artists, artisans, volunteers and local residents, demonstrating the festival’s role as a driving force of the creative economy while embodying the citizens’ cultural pride and the symbolic identity of the city.

Reference : https://lrl.kr/WKd9