The whole experience of Durga Puja would be incomplete without a round of pandal hopping.
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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00:31 Durga Puja is not just the biggest festival of Bengal.
00:35 It is an emotion that transforms into tides of happiness
00:39 amongst its people.
00:40 It is a cultural extravaganza.
00:43 It is a carnival that celebrates life and the creative spirit
00:47 of the state.
00:48 It is the festival that takes up Kolkata like a bride.
00:53 Bandles pop up across the city, some larger than life,
00:57 some smaller, where devotees seek the blessings of Ma Durga.
01:01 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:05 This is the time when people from all over India and abroad
01:09 visit Kolkata and go bangle hopping.
01:12 The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation bus
01:15 is a boon.
01:16 It is convenient, especially for tourists,
01:19 and gives a great overview of the Durga Puja festivities.
01:24 I stay in Bangalore.
01:26 When I came to know about this West Bengal Tourism Service,
01:30 then I instantly took to it.
01:32 This bus service, which is easy, and it
01:34 takes us to every pandal.
01:37 What I could not have done in any taxi or cab
01:41 or with any friends, I could do it here.
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01:47 Each year, the pandals are designed and decorated
01:50 according to themes.
01:52 And the best puja pandals are also awarded.
01:55 The idea of coming up with theme-based pandals
01:58 was initiated by Badam Tola.
02:01 While this club has been organizing Durga Puja
02:03 since 78 years, they started experimenting
02:07 with themes in 1999.
02:09 Since then, their themes have been diverse and captivating.
02:13 This year, the theme was dedicated to the Bengali
02:16 diaspora across the world.
02:18 The pandal reflected the streets of London.
02:21 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:25 Another crowd puller this year was the pandal
02:28 based on the super hit film, Bahubali, at Shreem Bhoomi.
02:32 It reflected the palace of Mahashmiti,
02:34 the ancient kingdom portrayed in the Bahubali series.
02:38 The entrance to the pandal has two large elephants
02:41 on either sides, which have been made with fiber and 10 pillars
02:45 that guide the devotees inside the pandal.
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02:58 At night, the pandal at College Square
03:01 looks gorgeous with its myriad reflections
03:04 of the boats and lotus installations
03:07 on the adjacent swimming pool.
03:09 It has a surreal effect on the visitors.
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03:18 The preparation for these pandals
03:20 start a year in advance, where many artists of Bengal
03:23 collaborate to make these larger-than-life art
03:27 installations that are breathtaking.
03:31 Not just the pandals, the creative minds
03:33 work overtime to decide on the look of the idols,
03:36 from how the goddess will look like to what
03:39 will she and her children wear.
03:41 There are pandals where Maa Durga is dolled up
03:44 in gold saris, designer saris, and also real gold jewelry.
03:49 Undoubtedly, the creative minds behind these larger-than-life
03:53 art installations leave the spectators spellbound.
03:58 Those who witness Durga Puja in Bengal
04:01 are awestruck by the grandeur of this carnival of culture
04:05 and emotions and make memories of a lifetime.
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