The Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja pandal was thrown open to visitors on September 27. Rupali Kahlon, wife of major general S.S. Kahlon, GOC, Bengal sub area; Melinda Pavek, consul general of USA in Kolkata; and Sangeeta Sahu, wife of Commodore Rituraj Sahu, naval officer in-charge West Bengal; offer flowers to the deity. “The wait is finally over. We are hoping to welcome more visitors than in the past two pandemic years. We are well-prepared. People have already started visiting the pandal since Mahalaya,” said Suren Khara, general secretary of the puja committee. My Kolkata is the digital partner for the Puja
Amit Datta/My KolkataActor and MP Shatrughan Sinha was the chief guest at the grand inaugural ceremony. He is seen here with Sundeep Bhutoria (far left), the chairman of the Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja Committee
Amit Datta/My KolkataMP Sudip Bandyopadhyay inaugurated the pandal and lit the inaugural lamp in the presence of consuls general, ministers, actors and other dignitaries. H.M. Bangur, industrialist and philanthropist (next to Bandyopadhyay), was the guest of honour
Amit Datta/My Kolkata(L-R) Melinda Pavek, consul general of USA in Kolkata; Astrid Wege, director of Goethe Institut-Max Mueller Bhavan, Kolkata; and Acharapan Yavaprapas, consul general of Thailand; draped in saris for the inaugural ceremony
Amit Datta/My KolkataFolk dance performances were organised by the Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty Durga Puja committee to welcome the guests
Amit Datta/My KolkataActress Koneenica Banerjee presented a special solo dance recital on the occasion
Amit Datta/My KolkataThe ambassadors from different embassies looked around the pandal, appreciating the intricate artwork
Amit Datta/My KolkataSudip Bandopadhyay, MP; Astrid Wege, director of Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan and Zha Liyou, consul general of China in Kolkata; tried their hand at beating the dhaak
Amit Datta/My KolkataShashi Panja, cabinet minister, and Sudip Bandopadhyay, MP, seek blessings from the goddess
Amit Datta/My KolkataPoet Srijato was also present at the inauguration ceremony
Amit Datta/My KolkataGuests Esha Dutta and Mohua Chatterjee at the pandal
Amit Datta/My KolkataThe Manicktalla Chaltabagan Lohapatty pandal is modelled after the Chola Dynasty temples of south India. The pandal has been created by artist Sutanu Maity
Amit Datta/My KolkataThe idol has been given a stone-finish look by artist Badal Chandra Paul in keeping with the pandal
Amit Datta/My KolkataThe puja also pays tribute to all those unknown men and women who toiled hard to build the beautiful temples
Amit Datta/My Kolkata