Unique Bespoke Durga Puja Experiences

Celebrate a passion called Kolkata in its most magnificent and resplendent glory with ITC Sonar and ITC Royal Bengal’s exclusive packages during the homecoming of the eternal Debi Durga.

Join us as we celebrate a UNESCO recognised intangible Cultural Heritage Of Humanity.

 FESTIVE STAYCATION

ITC SONAR

Kolkata’s luxury Business Resort ITC Sonar, offers the restful feel of a resort in a tandem with the efficiency of a world class business hotel. Intrinsic to ITC Hotels’ philosophy of being ‘rooted to the soil’, ITC Sonar is themed on the quintessential ‘baganbari’ or garden homes of Bengal’s erstwhile nobility.

INR 6000 plus applicable taxes onwards

 ITC ROYAL BENGAL

The monumental and majestic edifice of ITC Royal Bengal reflects the finest influences of the spirit of Bengal, which has always manifested a truly global cosmopolitanism that has celebrated the finest nuances of culture, art, music and a zest of truly sublime experiences.

INR 7000 plus applicable taxes onwards

 Inclusions

• Buffet Breakfast and Wi-Fi

• The offer is subject to availability and rates are valid till 26th October, 2022.CONCIERGE RECOMMENDS

As Kolkata’s foremost destination authority, ITC Hotels Kolkata’s Concierge is ready to assist with every aspect of your visit, providing recommendations for activities, information on what to explore and experience, restaurant reservations and assistance with transportation.

Our Concierge is at your service, proudly wearing the “clef d’or”, the gilt insignia of the celebrated International Concierge Society and eager to reveal to you the secret treasures of the city.

From a game on a heritage golf course to a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience in the Tea Pavilion, to wandering amidst the sights of colonial Kolkata, the Concierge is the golden key to the city’s greatest destination experiences.

Whatever be your requirement from experiencing the city’s art galleries or museums, to curated shopping trails, we will ensure you have everything needed for an enriching stay.

The food and beverage restaurants at ITC Royal Bengal & ITC Sonar offer a range of cuisines and experience unmatched by any single destination in the city. However, to assist you in a gastronomic adventure through the culinary history of the city, our celebrated chefs, the Food Sherpas, will share their passion for gastronomy with you, through exciting journeys into Kolkata’s popular food destinations, spiced with tales of legendary legacies and little-known secrets during your stay.

25th September, Sunday

Mahalaya

Starting 7:00 am from Shyambazar Metro Gate No 1

Visit Sobhabazar and Kumartuli Ghat to witness the ritual known as Tarpan. A tradition that pays homage to the forefathers. Mahalaya marks the beginning of the countdown to Durga Puja.

Walking Tour Through Kumartuli

This is the traditional potters’ quarter that is over 300 years old.

It was formed by a group of skilled potters who moved to the city from Nadia to serve Kolkata’s devotional needs. The bulk of the city’s Durga idols are crafted here from environment friendly materials such as bamboo and clay by the kumar or potter-hence the locality’s name.

Duration of Tour–4 hrs26th September, Monday

Starting 4:00 pm onwards

Walk through some of the city’s leading Pandals or marquees. Mingle with the locals and lend a helping hand in the decorating of the pandal. By doing so, gain a deeper understanding of Durga Puja and the values that Bengalis attach to this festival.

Duration of Tour – 4 hrs

27th September, Tuesday

Starting 5:00 pm at Hotel

Cultural Programme

Folk performances from rural Bengal, staged at a traditional North Kolkata Puja Pandal.

Duration of Tour – 4 hrs

27th September, Tuesday

Starting 2:30pm from Hotel

Visit to Rishra

1hr 30 mins drive from Kolkata

Rishra is mentioned in the age-old Manasa Mangal text During the Mughal period the village and its surrounding areas were famous for silk weaving. After the Mughals, Rishra came under Danish rule. The trip includes a visit to a restored Church built by the Danes and few of the houses that are over 200 years old.

Duration of Tour – 6 hrs

28th September, Wednesday

Starting 6:00 pm from Hotel

Join the inauguration of the Puja in a North Kolkata pandal. Followed by visits to some of the renowned pandals in the nearby areas.

Duration of Tour – 5 hrs

29th September, Thursday

Starting 6:00 pm from Hotel

A tour to notable North and South Kolkata Puja pandals awarded for their display of art and craft.

Duration of Tour – 5 hrs

30th September, Friday

Starting 7:00 am from Hotel

By river on a steamer from the ghat at Fairley Place to Belur Math and back to dock again at Fairley Place. ‘Such a river of life as exists nowhere else in the world’, wrote Rudyard Kipling and this is true for Hooghly. Life and rituals have remained the same over the ages.

Duration of Tour – 4 hrs

 1st October, Saturday

Starting 4:00 pm from Hotel

Maha Shashti

Pandal visit in South Kolkata – view pujas celebrated for their award winning art and craft.

Duration of Tour – 5 hrs

2nd October, Sunday

Starting 7:00 am from Shyambazar Metro Station Gate No. 1

Maha Saptami

Kola Bou Snan, this is one of the first rituals as Durga Puja begins. A young plantain sapling becomes a manifestation of the goddess and is draped in a white saree with a red border before being escorted to the river and back.

Duration of Tour – 4 hrs

3rd October, Monday

Starting 8:00am from Hotel

Maha Ashtami

This is one of the crowning days of the Puja. Participate in the traditional rituals of Anjali and Sandhi Puja at a Puja pandal or in one of the old aristocratic mansions (Bonedi Bari) celebrated for their Pujas for over a century.

Duration of Tour – 4 hrs

4th October, Tuesday

Starting 9:00 am from Hotel

Maha Nabami

In the Bengali community, elders address young girls as Ma or Mother out of affection. Kumari Puja, an integral part of the Durga Puja festival in Bengal, is observed to celebrate the faith in the divine feminine through the ceremonious worship of young girls who are taken as aspects of the Debi Durga.

Witness Kumari Puja at a Puja Pandal or a Bonedi Bari in North Kolkata.

Duration of Tour – 4 hrs

 5th October, Wednesday

Starting 9:00 am from Hotel

Bijoya Dashami

Bijoya Dashami as it is called is the last of Durga Puja.

The goddess is returning to her heavenly abode. The married women of the community participate in Sindur Khela, smearing the vermilion associated with marriage on each other’s faces after offering it to the Debi Durga.

Sindur Khela can be arranged for the women at one of the Pandals or a Bonedi Bari.

Duration of Tour – 5 hrs6th October, Thursday

Starting 4:30 pm from Hotel

Immersion

It is time for Debi Durga to return to her home after her annual visit. She returns by the river. The group will join the immersion procession as it progresses from the Pandal to the river bank and take a closer look at the ceremonies involved.

Duration of Tour – 4 hrs

8th October, Friday

Starting l:30 pm from Hotel

State Carnival

Be a spectator at the State Carnival, where a fusion of spirituality and traditional performances unfold.

Prices available on request.

24 hours prior reservations required.

The concierge will assist in curating experiences as per your preference.

*Terms & conditions apply

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