Overview

• West Bengal Police began implementing a festival security plan from Mahalaya, with 10,000–15,000 personnel deployed across districts and support from Home Guards, NCC cadets, and volunteers, including provisions for post‑puja carnivals.
• Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated three Kolkata pandals on Saturday and said she will open about 3,000 more over the next four to five days, noting she unveiled only pandals before Mahalaya and would reveal idols from Sunday.
• The BJP accused Banerjee of offending Hindu sentiments by inaugurating before Mahalaya, while Trinamool Congress leaders said rituals were respected and no idols were unveiled early.
• The government increased its grant to puja committees to ₹1.10 lakh each this year, with roughly 3,000 community pujas in Kolkata and about 42,000 in the districts, and Kolkata’s Durga Puja retains UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status.
• Mahalaya was observed on September 21 with greetings from national and state leaders, and Shardiya Navratri begins September 22 with Ghatasthapana recommended between 6:09 am and 8:06 am, leading into Durga Puja in late September and early October.