Overview

• At Kolkata’s Santosh Mitra Square, a Desh Bhakti ‘Operation Sindoor’ theme featuring battlefield set‑pieces and military models was inaugurated by Union home minister Amit Shah, according to organisers.
• Mumbai’s Bengal Club at Shivaji Park adopted ‘Operation Sindoor’ with a light‑and‑sound tribute to the armed forces and expects about 8 lakh visitors, with proceeds supporting CRY and NGOs aiding families of martyred soldiers.
• Kolkata’s Jagat Mukherjee Park unveiled an ‘Artificial Intelligence: A Blessing or a Curse?’ theme, presenting circuitry installations and tech motifs around the Durga idol.
• Other Kolkata pandals foreground social and cultural narratives, including a ‘brake fail’ theme highlighting the impact of divorce on children and historical storytelling on the city’s origins.
• Cross‑border attendance at the Hili Puja has tightened this year with Bangladeshi devotees sending offerings instead, while Gurugram began Khuti Puja rituals for 100+ planned pandals and Kolkata rolled out the ‘Cholte Cholte 40’ Pujo‑painted taxi project.