Equipment for Durga Puja-hosting clubs is set to receive a fund of Rs 60,000 each from the state government, up from Rs 50,000 last year, and state authority workplaces will remain closed for 11 days from September 30 (Panchami) to October 10 this year (the day after Lakshmi Puja).
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee introduced the pair of decisions after an administrative meeting with organizers at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday, signaling a return to pre-pandemic normalcy of the state’s biggest festival after two years of remaining Covid restrictions.
This is also the first year the pageant will be held after UNESCO announced in December 2021, placing Kolkata’s Durga Puja on its list of intangible cultural heritage. The organization quoted UNESCO representative Eric Falt as saying: “I will visit Kolkata next week with my colleagues from Paris. There, we will celebrate Durga Puja. It’s a huge celebration for the people of the West Bengal.”
