Durga Puja  : Several well-known pandas experience last-minute anxiety and calculate their losses at events like Santoshpur Lake Pally and Hatibagan Nabin Pally.

Due to heavy overnight showers that left many areas of the city flooded and caused turmoil in the preparations for Durga Puja, Kolkata woke up to commotion on Tuesday.

Just days before Mahalaya, the flood—one of the worst in decades—damaged decorations, props, and electrical fixtures while submerging major roads, railroad tracks, and portions of the metro. It also flooded multiple pandal courtyards.

Weeks of labor were undone in a matter of hours for Durga Puja Committees that had been working nonstop to complete elaborate installations, lighting, and rehearsals. The water that got inside the pandals ruined the surrounding decorations, patterns, and plywood planks. The flood also damaged lighting fixtures and electric appliances.

After over five hours of nonstop rain, organizers at Bosepukur Talbagan reported that the pandal stayed inundated for hours, requiring volunteers to turn off the electricity and start emergency pumping operations.

There was significant damage recorded at Hatibagan Nabin Pally, which is situated in a low-lying lane. “The pandal and its surroundings are severely waterlogged. Some of the walls are missing. We had planned a brief hiatus before reopening on the 25th after opening for a preview exhibition, but we are unsure of our next course of action,” stated general secretary Amitava Roy.

Additionally, displays and delicate artwork created over months were destroyed by the intense rain.

Replicas of Bengal School paintings and an artificial lotus pond were washed away, according to officials at Santoshpur Lake Pally. The rains have ruined the reproductions of paintings by Bengal School artists such as Nandalal Basu, Jamini Roy, and Abanindranath Tagore that were placed in the pandal courtyard on the route leading to the idol. These have been meticulously prepared for months, and we are unsure of how to replace them,” committee official Somnath Das stated, adding that power outages in the impacted areas hindered the beginning of welding and other repairs.

Not every committee experienced the same level of impact. While approach roads and stall areas damaged, some, like Hindustan Club and Kashi Bose Lane, reported just minimal plaster damage or intact core installations. “We are fortunate that our mondop, or pavilion, is still standing. Somen Dutta of Kashi Bose Lane stated, “Volunteers have been clearing debris, and if there is no more rain, we should be able to make up lost time.”

However, the storm struck at the most inconvenient time for a lot of small vendors and vendors. Following the soaking of products stored in trunks on pavements, Hatibagan and Gariahat markets experienced significant losses during the last stages of puja commerce. The majority of my clothing is damaged. I lost almost Rs 3 lakh. For us, the final days leading up to the Durga pujas are really important,” stated Krishnendu Ghorai, a Hatibagan hat vendor. Ratikanta Das, another seller, claimed that when he arrived in the early hours, the goods was destroyed and the water was knee deep.

A number of well-known pandals changed their schedules and postponed inaugurations. One of the city’s most well-known tourist pujas, Tridhara Akhbodhan, postponed the chief minister’s scheduled inauguration till the next evening.

Kolkata’s Durga Puja Spirit Unshaken by Weather Woes

In order to let work to restart after the water subsided, College Square postponed its inauguration by one day and housed dhakis and craftspeople in neighboring buildings while setting up food. “We set up food for our artisans, dhakis (drummers), who have taken refuge on the first floor of an adjacent building. A College Square representative stated, “We hope the situation won’t get any worse.” They also mentioned that the pandal’s electrical wiring and the waterbody’s well-known illumination are being inspected once more.

The organizers recounted chaotic scenes, including carpenters attempting to save scaffolding and props, electricians inspecting wiring, and volunteers pumping out water. According to the committee, the pandal in Santoshpur was closed to spectators for two days in order to facilitate repair efforts. We are unable to start ornamental work seriously until the power is restored and the courtyard floods are pumped out. “We need to approach our work like a war,” Somnath Das stated.

Long-standing grievances regarding the city’s drainage were also rekindled by the rain. A number of organizers and municipal officials attributed the floods to poor civic drainage. Transport services were delayed as commuters battled around the city as a result of local drains being overloaded and arterial highways being blocked.

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Many committees had a resilient attitude in spite of the harm and monetary losses. In order to open their pandals for the festival, volunteers persisted.

An organizer remarked, “We are racing against the skies and against time.” “We will attempt to save as much as we can if the rain stops and the power comes back on. The puja spirit of Kolkata is obstinate; people will find a way to make it work.