Visit the Durga Puja art installation in Queensgate on Saturday 22nd March - Thursday 22nd April
- Heritage Bengal Global
- Bengali Sanskriti Club Peterborough
- Nene Park Trust
- Inauguration at 1:00 PM on Sunday 23rd March: Official unveiling of the Maa Durga Art Installation.
- Cultural Program (1 PM – 3PM): Traditional Durga Puja dances, music, and speeches.
- Open Exhibition: Discover the history of Durga Puja, with craft-making sessions by Nene Park Trust.
- Unique Durga Idol: Commissioned by Lalbaba Rice for the London Thames Durga Parade 2024, created from recycled materials by students of Techno India Fashion School in Kolkata.
- Event Closes at 3PM: The installation remains on display for an entire month.
- Embrace Culture – Learn about Durga Puja - a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tag event, it's rich history and significance.
- Sustainability in Art – Explore an eco-friendly Durga idol made from recycled materials.
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Engage with Tradition – Enjoy performances and craft-making activities.
- Durga: Symbol of Women's Strength and Empowerment – Maa Durga embodies the courage, strength, and resilience of women everywhere, inspiring empowerment and equality.
Where did Durga Puja Festival originate and how is it celebrated?
Every October, Kolkata, the “city of joy” and capital of West Bengal in India, lights up to celebrate Durga Puja. The festival is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga – daughter, mother, warrior and defeater of demons.
Durga Puja is a special puja (offering) festival that celebrates the victory of the goddess Durga over the demon king Mahishasura (from the Sanskrit terms mahisa, “buffalo” and asura, “demon”). It begins on the same day as Navratri, which is held over nine nights in many northern and western states and which more broadly celebrates the divine feminine (shakti).
Kolkata’s annual festival was included on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2021 and is among the city’s primary tourist attractions. An estimated 3,000 pujas are held across Kolkata’s neighbourhoods. The images and elaborate pandals are renowned for their variety in design and artistry
About the event
Join Us in This Historic Celebration of Strength, Empowerment, and Unity!