The beats of 'dhak' (drums), the aroma of incense and the glow of artistic pandals filled the air across West Bengal on Wednesday as Maha Navami, the penultimate day of the Durga Puja, unfolded in all its grandeur, with lakhs of devotees flocking to marquees from dawn to dusk. A forecast of light to moderate rain by the Met department from the evening, however, cast a shadow of uncertainty, though it failed to dampen the festive spirit as revellers queued outside pandals across Kolkata and the districts. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a depression, bringing light rains from Navami night and moderate showers from Dashami noon.
From early morning, pandals brimmed with visitors, some folding hands in silent prayer before the goddess, others soaking in the craftsmanship of the idols and the vibrant themes that turned neighbourhoods into open-air galleries. For many, Navami was as much about nostalgia and togetherness as it was about rituals. At Santosh Mitra Square in Sealdah, themed on 'Operation Sindoor', the crowds swelled despite police restrictions and suspension of the light-and-sound show during the day. "The waiting time has crossed two hours since morning," said committee secretary Sajal Ghosh. Similar turnouts were reported at iconic pujas like Tallah Prattay, Tridhara, Chetla Agrani, Ekdalia Evergreen, 95 Pally Jodhpur Park, Kashi Bose Lane, Baghbazar Sarbojonin, Mudiali, Kendua Shanti Sangha Patuli and Sreebhumi Sporting Club. Partha Ghosh, an office bearer of Shiv Mandir Sarbojonin Puja Committee in Lake area, said their pandal had seen thousands of visitors over the past three days. "Despite the possibility of rains, we are expecting at least 20,000 people to visit our marquee today," he said. Traditional rituals lent their own sacred dimension to the day. At the 400-year-old Sabarna Roychowdhury puja in Barisha, the revered kumari puja was performed, while a similar ceremony was held at Mudiali. Thousands thronged Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, to witness the Navami worship. Community feasts and cultural functions added to the festive flavour in many areas and apartment complexes. "We are going ahead with our events, including a fashion show with local participation, regardless of the weather forecast. Nobody leaves the area during these five days," said a member of the 61-year-old Naktala Nabapally Sarbojanin Puja committee. The evening promised the grandeur of Sandhya Arti, when conch shells, 'uludhwani' and synchronised dhak beats would reverberate across the state. "On Navami, the 'aarti' feels like the climax of the celebration. The energy inside the pandal becomes electric," said Abhijit Dutta, a college student waiting near a south Kolkata puja. This year's festivities also bore the stamp of global recognition.
In 2021, "Durga Puja in Kolkata" was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, marking worldwide acknowledgment of the celebration's scale and spirit. "After UNESCO's recognition, we feel an added responsibility to maintain the sanctity and spectacle," said an organiser of a south Kolkata puja. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greeted the people of the state on the occasion of Nabami and posted a music video of one of her puja songs, with lyrics penned by her and sung by Iman Chakraborty. For now, Bengal revelled in Navami's splendour, a day that blended worship, art and celebration, before the poignant farewell of Dashami, when the goddess symbolically returns to her celestial abode - Mount Kailash.