With festivities continuing until October 21, residents across Noida are celebrating through traditional folk art and community-led decorations. With Durga Puja celebrations underway, the city is filled with elaborate pandals depicting traditional mud huts and temple architecture inspired by rural West Bengal and Thai temples.
One of the highlights is a road between Paramount Society and Gulshan Vivante in Sector 137, where residents have painted intricate alpona patterns, a traditional Bengali folk art form, on the road. Sandeep Kumar Sarkar, general secretary of the Noida Sector 137 Sarbojanin Puja Samiti, said the initiative has been part of the celebrations for the past eight years. Sector 137 also features a pandal themed around the eternal circle of life. At Noida Kalibari in Sector 26, the pandal recreates a traditional kure ghor, or mud hut, inspired by rural houses of West Bengal.
“We repaint it every year. This initiative is meant to engage people from our society. “This year, the committee has chosen a theme that is much closer to its cultural roots in rural Bengal.
We have taken it up on a bigger scale to encourage more society members to come forward,” he said. Artisans and artists from different parts of West Bengal have been engaged to bring authentic artistic elements and craftsmanship to the structure,” said Anupam Banerjee, vice-president of Noida Kalibari.
Organisers received 25 entries this year, with the results expected by October 20. Among the participants is the Purbahno Bengali Cultural Association at Prateek Laurel in Sector 120, celebrating its 12th Durga Puja. In Gaur City 1, the Bengali Cultural Association has chosen Thakurbari Dalan as its theme, drawing inspiration from a traditional architectural feature found in old Bengali mansions, palaces and heritage homes. The pandal at Jalvayu Vihar in Sector 25 draws inspiration from Thai temple architecture, bringing together Bengal’s traditions and Southeast Asian artistic influences.
The Kalibari is also celebrating its 44th Durga Puja this year. Its annual competition, which also contains a best pandal category, is expanding to recognise community engagement within housing societies. The predominantly white structure, accented with gold detailing, offers a distinctive interpretation of the region’s ornate temple designs.
Its theme, Shanti Rupena Samsthita, translates to “the Divine Goddess who exists in the form of peace”. “By looking within, nurturing compassion and choosing positivity, we can find the strength to navigate our challenges and spread harmony around us,” said S Saha, patron of the Purbahno Bengali Cultural Association. “The design is not merely an architectural representation; it is a journey across borders, reminding us that devotion transcends geography,” said Jaya Dey, a member of the Jalvayu Vihar Sanskritik Kalyan Samiti.
