Durga Puja is not the end of the season. Lakshmi Puja follows within a week, Kali Puja and Diwali about three weeks later, Jagaddhatri Puja at Chandannagar in November, and Saraswati Puja in the spring. Kali Puja in Kolkata is close in scale to Durga Puja and has its own pandal culture.
The names
Places, pujas and people, with what each one is| Name | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Kali Puja | city-wide, about three weeks after Durga Puja | Held on the Diwali new moon; large pandals, particularly in north Kolkata and the suburbs. |
| Kalighat Temple1809 | Kalighat | One of the 51 Shakti Peethas; the temple the city is named after. |
| Dakshineswar Kali Temple1855 | Dakshineswar, north of the city | Built by Rani Rashmoni; Ramakrishna served here. |
| Thanthania Kalibari1703 | Bidhan Sarani | An old north Kolkata Kali temple. |
| Firhad Hakim’s Chetla and the Barasat pujas | Chetla, Barasat | Barasat is known for the scale of its Kali Puja. |
| Lakshmi Puja | city-wide, Kojagori full moon | Held at home rather than in pandals, the week after Durga Puja. |
| Jagaddhatri Puja1700s | Chandannagar and Krishnanagar | November; the Chandannagar lighting is at its finest here. |
| Saraswati Puja | city-wide, spring | Held in schools, colleges and homes; the students’ festival. |
| Poila Boishakh | city-wide, mid-April | Bengali new year; the trading houses open new account books. |
Worth knowing
- Kali Puja in Kolkata is close to Durga Puja in scale.
- Barasat and Madhyamgram, north of the city, are known for their Kali Puja pandals.
- Chandannagar’s Jagaddhatri Puja in November is the best lighting of the year.
- Lakshmi Puja is domestic rather than public.
- Saraswati Puja in spring belongs to the schools and colleges.
More on Durga Puja
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