Kolkata’s preparations for Durga Puja are extending beyond pandals and public celebrations, with road surfaces and prominent urban spaces becoming part of a citywide decorative effort. Vivid stripes of red,
pink, yellow and orange are replacing the usual dark appearance of stretches of tarmac, while floral artwork is appearing at busy intersections.
The campaign has brought the new BJP government’s approach to the city’s appearance into focus. On Sunday, Cabinet Minister Agnimitra Paul was seen drawing alpona (a traditional art form associated with Bengali households and festive occasions) at Park Circus Crossing. The designs are conventionally made with rice flour on floors and walls.
Agnimitra Paul, who oversees the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs portfolios, said the artwork symbolised love, brotherhood and the public’s trust in the new government following its decisive electoral victory.
The area beneath the Park Circus connector is among the locations receiving decorative treatment. Other sites covered by the programme include Gariahat bridge and the Garia More junction.
6 months of government did what 60 years of government couldn’t. 🧡
Welcome to Kolkata, India.🇮🇳🫶🏻 https://t.co/C93c1wL5An
— Kashvi (@KashviiSpeaks) October 12, 2026
According to Agnimitra Paul, Red Road has also seen similar work, and the riverfront ghats along the Hooghly are being decorated for the upcoming celebrations. She indicated that the campaign could be extended to additional crossings, depending on the time available. “If time permits, we will also decorate the Rashbehari and Park Street crossings,” she said.
Eden Gardens Event Marks The Start Of BJP Government’s Puja Celebrations
The road decorations are part of a broader festive push during the BJP government’s first Durga Puja in West Bengal. The administration has also organised large-scale celebrations to mark the approach of the festival. On Mahalaya, the occasion preceding the 10-day-long Durga Puja festivities, Eden Gardens hosted a major government-organised programme. Fireworks, laser displays and cultural performances featured in the event, which marked the arrival of the festive season.
The latest work on roads, bridges and public spaces adds another dimension to the government’s preparations, placing the city’s infrastructure at the centre of its visual presentation for Puja.
🚨Kolkata bridges, major roads get festive colours for Durga Puja. https://t.co/7gAs2sMIiS
— Gems (@gemsofbabus_) October 12, 2026
Opposition Parties Challenge The Cost Of Beautification
The government’s efforts have drawn objections from both the Congress and the Left Front. Their criticism centres on whether decorative projects should receive public funding when, in their view, education, employment and civic development deserve greater attention.
West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar accused the administration of turning the exercise into a spectacle funded by taxpayers. “They are doing drama with people’s tax money. This has to be stopped,” Sarkar told The Indian Express.
He argued that ministers should be concentrating on public services and long-term urban planning rather than such displays. “A minister’s work is to provide services and make plans for the city’s development. This drama will finish the state and the country,” he added.
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty questioned whether the project was being financed by the BJP or through public funds. He said spending taxpayers’ money on decoration would be difficult to justify if essential sectors were being overlooked. “If taxpayers’ money is being used, it should be for education and employment. That should be the priority. If it isn’t, then it is unfortunate,” Chakraborty added.
New Colour Scheme After Mamata Banerjee’s Blue City Initiative
The city’s latest makeover brings back memories of the Trinamool Congress government’s earlier effort to establish a distinct colour scheme across Kolkata. Under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, light blue became a familiar feature of the urban landscape. Government buildings, flyovers and roadside railings were painted light blue, with the same colour scheme extending to taxis across the city. Mamta Banerjee had also pledged to transform Kolkata into a city resembling London but her vision was frequently dismissed by her political rivals.
The BJP government’s approach ahead of Durga Puja is different, with a wider mix of colours and traditional Bengali designs featuring in the beautification work.
Yet the contrast between the two approaches extends beyond aesthetics. While the present administration is using the festive season to reshape the appearance of major public spaces, the Congress and the Left are questioning the spending priorities behind the initiative.
With decorations appearing at prominent junctions and more locations potentially in line for similar treatment, Kolkata’s Puja preparations have become the subject of a debate that goes beyond colour and design to the question of how a government should allocate public resources.
