Durga Puja Adani Preview 2026: Eight Kolkata Pujas selected for three-night showcase
Synopsis
For the first time, Kolkata's Durga Puja gets a corporate-backed pre-festival showcase: Adani Group's inaugural three-night Preview on October 10–12 brings together 8 jury-selected Pujas, 70+ artists, and over 30,000 registered visitors — turning the city's UNESCO-recognised festival into an immersive cultural experience accessible to anyone with a free pass.
Key Takeaways
The inaugural Durga Puja Adani Preview 2026 will be held on October 10, 11, and 12 in Kolkata , open from 6 pm to 4 am each night.
Eight Pujas were selected by an independent four-member jury that included Padma Shri awardee Paresh Maity ; the Adani Group had no role in the selection.
More than 70 artists have registered to participate, and over 30,000 visitors have already signed up for the preview.
Entry is free with a Preview Pass ; the event is designed to be accessible to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
The preview aims to deepen engagement with Kolkata's Durga Puja traditions for visitors from outside West Bengal.
Eight of Kolkata's most celebrated Durga Puja pandals have been chosen for the inaugural Durga Puja Adani Preview 2026, a three-night public preview event organised by the Adani Group ahead of the main Puja season in West Bengal. More than 30,000 visitors have already registered, and over 70 artists have enrolled in the initiative, according to a statement released on Friday, 2 October 2026.
The Preview and What It Offers
The Durga Puja Adani Preview 2026 is designed as a dedicated window for visitors to engage with the artistry, craftsmanship, and cultural narratives behind the festival before the city settles into the full rhythm of Puja. The preview will run across three nights — October 10, 11, and 12 — remaining open from 6 pm to 4 am on each night. Entry is free with a Preview Pass, with registrations open and access subject to capacity. The event has also been designed with senior citizens and persons with disabilities in mind, making it more accessible to a wider audience.
How the Eight Pujas Were Selected
The selection was carried out by an independent four-member jury that assessed entries without any involvement from the Adani Group. The jury comprised Padma Shri awardee and artist-sculptor Paresh Maity; industrialist and art connoisseur Harshavardhan Neotia; acclaimed architect Abin Chaudhuri; and heritage conservationist Mudar Patherya. 'The selection process was conducted at arm's length from Adani, with the jury independently assessing the entries and determining the final selections. Adani had no role in choosing the selected Pujas,' the statement noted.
The Selected Artists and Their Pujas
The eight chosen Pujas and their lead artists are: Anirban Das of Alipore Sarbojanin Durgotsav; Bhabatosh Sutar of Yuba Sangha; Debasis Barui of Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha; Eshika Chandra and Deep Das of Barisha Club; Pradip Das of Behala Club Sarbojonin; Purnendu Dey of Rajdanga Amra Kayjan Kalyan Samity; Raju Sarkar of Thakurpur State Bank Park Sarbojanin; and Sanatan Dinda of Nalin Sarkar Street Sarbojanin Durgatsob Samity.
Broader Cultural Intent
Beyond the city's own audience, the preview is explicitly aimed at visitors from outside Bengal — offering them a structured, immersive entry point into Kolkata's UNESCO-recognised Durga Puja traditions. 'The Preview is also intended to help guests from outside Bengal engage more deeply with Kolkata's Durga Puja traditions, building greater awareness of its artistic and cultural richness and encouraging them to carry those stories beyond Bengal as informed ambassadors of the experience,' the statement added. The initiative signals a growing trend of corporate-backed cultural curation around one of India's largest festivals, with the Adani Group positioning itself as a patron of the city's art ecosystem. As Puja season approaches, all eyes will be on whether the preview model expands in scope in future editions.
Point of View
But a branded, jury-curated 'preview' format with 30,000 pre-registrations signals something more structured — and more ambitious. The arm's-length jury arrangement is a credibility safeguard, yet the event still carries the Adani name prominently at a time when the group's public profile is heavily scrutinised. What's less examined is what this model means for Puja culture itself: when a major conglomerate frames the festival as a curated art experience, the risk is that commercial aesthetics gradually reshape which Pujas get visibility and which don't. The 70-artist count and accessibility provisions are genuine positives — but long-term, this previewing model will need independent cultural oversight to ensure it amplifies rather than filters Kolkata's famously democratic Puja tradition.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Durga Puja Adani Preview 2026?
It is a three-night public preview event organised by the Adani Group in Kolkata, running on October 10, 11, and 12 from 6 pm to 4 am each night. The event allows visitors to explore eight jury-selected Durga Puja pandals and engage with the art and craftsmanship behind them before the main Puja days begin.
How were the eight Pujas chosen for the preview?
An independent four-member jury — comprising Padma Shri awardee Paresh Maity, Harshavardhan Neotia, architect Abin Chaudhuri, and heritage conservationist Mudar Patherya — assessed and selected the Pujas without any involvement from the Adani Group.
Is entry to the Durga Puja Adani Preview 2026 free?
Yes, entry is free with a Preview Pass. Registrations are open, though access is subject to capacity. The event has also been designed with senior citizens and persons with disabilities in mind.
Which Pujas and artists are featured in the Adani Preview 2026?
The eight selected Pujas and their artists are: Anirban Das (Alipore Sarbojanin Durgotsav), Bhabatosh Sutar (Yuba Sangha), Debasis Barui (Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha), Eshika Chandra and Deep Das (Barisha Club), Pradip Das (Behala Club Sarbojonin), Purnendu Dey (Rajdanga Amra Kayjan Kalyan Samity), Raju Sarkar (Thakurpur State Bank Park Sarbojanin), and Sanatan Dinda (Nalin Sarkar Street Sarbojanin Durgatsob Samity).
Who is the target audience for the Durga Puja Adani Preview 2026?
The event is open to all visitors but is especially aimed at people from outside West Bengal who wish to understand Kolkata's Durga Puja traditions more deeply. It is positioned as a cultural bridge, encouraging visitors to 'carry those stories beyond Bengal as informed ambassadors,' according to the Adani Group's statement.
