Kolkata is gearing up for Durga Puja with a burst of colour, as flyovers across the city undergo a vibrant makeover featuring bright shades of orange, pink and yellow.
Kolkata is gearing up for Durga Puja with a burst of colour, as flyovers across the city undergo a vibrant makeover featuring bright shades of orange, pink and yellow. Familiar concrete structures are being transformed into eye-catching festive landmarks, bringing the spirit of Bengal’s biggest annual celebration to the city’s busy roads.
The West Bengal government has initiated the colourful revamp ahead of Durga Puja, blending bright hues with intricate Bengali alpona designs. This traditional folk art, known for its decorative patterns and traditionally created using rice paste during festivals and religious ceremonies, is adding a distinctly cultural touch to the urban landscape.
Videos shared by local bloggers on social media have captured the ongoing transformation of prominent structures, including the Gariahat and Chingrighata flyovers, drawing attention to the city’s festive preparations.
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In one such video, a vlogger from the Instagram page Bangali-Ana took a bike ride with a friend along the Gariahat flyover to document the ongoing work. The footage showed one side of the structure painted in vibrant colours while traffic continued to flow along the other.
“You can see one side of the flyover has been painted while the other side hasn’t been painted as yet,” he said in the video.
A Kolkata resident shared a bird’s-eye view of the Chingrighata flyover after its Puja-special makeover, showcasing vivid bands of colour reminiscent of a rainbow.
Traditional alpona patterns have also adorned spaces beneath the Park Circus connector and junctions such as Garia More, news agency PTI reported. Several other prominent bridges and flyovers are also expected to receive similar makeovers as the city prepares for the grand celebrations.
Inspecting the ongoing work at Gariahat bridge, Bengal urban development minister Agnimitra Paul described the colourful initiative as an expression of love and faith, connecting it with the public’s trust in the government.
Paul also encouraged residents to explore other beautified public spaces across Kolkata, including Red Road and the ghats. She highlighted the traditional alpona artwork being created under the leadership of the Kolkata Police Commissioner, with more locations expected to feature the festive designs.
“Today, at the Gariahat bridge and Shyambazar junction, more alpona is being drawn. If time permits, we might also do some alpona at Park Street and Raj Bhavan. All of this is for you,” she said, adding, “Please stay by our side, stay well, and have a wonderful Durga Puja,” Paul said.
