Durga Puja 2026: Pujo Comes to the Mall! South City To Host Its First Ever Durga Puja With Full Rituals

Durga Puja 2026: This Durga Puja, get ready for a brand new destination! Kolkata's South City Mall is all set to host its first-ever Durga Puja. Check what new it means for Kolkata and it's most important festival

Durga Puja 2026: With Rath Yatra over, the festive beats of the dhak have officially begun. For Bengalis, the year-long wait for these five special days is almost over, and the countdown has started. There are now just a handful of days left for Durga Puja. In Kumortuli, the potters' quarter, the workshops are buzzing with activity as artists work day and night to bring the clay idols of Maa Durga to life. But this year, the celebrations aren't just limited to neighbourhood clubs and pandals. You can now experience the joy of Durga Puja inside a shopping mall, as one of the city's most famous malls is organising its own puja, and preparations are in full swing.

Which Kolkata Mall is Hosting Durga Puja?

Durga Puja is all about fun and festivities. It's a time when everyone comes together with family and friends to celebrate. While pujas are held in every nook and corner of the city and its suburbs, this is the first time that South Kolkata's popular South City Mall is organising a full-fledged celebration for Maa Uma. From the 'Kola Bou Snan' to the 'Ashtami Anjali', all rituals will be conducted by a priest, confirmed the mall's director, Dip Biswas. He explained, "South City is always bustling with people, but Durga Puja is the biggest platform for social gathering. We wanted people to be able to soak in the festive mood right in the middle of their shopping, eating, and adda sessions. That's why we made this decision." In previous years, the mall would only have a symbolic installation of the goddess at its centre. This time, however, they are building a proper pandal and organising a complete puja.

Work on the Durga Idol Has Begun

Artist Subhankar Datta has been given the responsibility of creating the Durga idol for South City Mall. We've learned that the idol for the mall's puja will be crafted by his skilled hands. The theme is 'Jatra' or 'The Journey'. Speaking about the theme, the artist explained that his concept will not only show the evolution from a traditional village market ('haat') to a modern shopping mall but will also feature various unknown folk tales connected to Durga Puja. However, he admitted that creating a pandal inside a shopping mall is a completely different experience. "I have experience setting up pandals on open grounds and streets, but this is my first time inside a shopping mall. We had to have several rounds of discussions with engineers before starting the pandal construction to ensure there are no issues at the mall during the puja. The tall structure of the pandal must remain stable under any circumstances," he said. With less than 50 days to go for Durga Puja, it looks like you have a new place to visit for a unique Pujo experience this year—South City Mall!