CM Manik Saha joins Maha Shashthi Durga Puja parikrama in Tripura
Synopsis
Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha joined Durga Puja celebrations on Maha Shashthi evening, visiting the Unnayan Sangha pandal in Barodowali as part of his festive parikrama across the state.
Key Takeaways
Manik Saha , Chief Minister of Tripura, undertook a Durga Puja parikrama on the evening of Maha Shashthi, October 16, 2026 .
He visited the pandal of Unnayan Sangha in the Barodowali locality of Tripura.
The post was shared in Bengali on X, accompanied by four photographs from the visit.
Durga Puja is a major festival for Tripura's large Bengali Hindu community , observed across the state with pandals and processions.
Parikramas by state leaders during Durga Puja are a long-standing tradition of community engagement in northeastern India.
On the auspicious evening of Maha Shashthi, Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha stepped out for a Durga Puja parikrama, visiting the pandal of Unnayan Sangha in Barodowali on Friday, October 16, 2026 — joining thousands of devotees as the festival's most vibrant nights began.
Posting in Bengali on X, Dr. Saha wrote: 'মহা ষষ্ঠীর সন্ধ্যায়, দুর্গা পূজা পরিক্রমায় - উন্নয়ন সংঘ, বড়দোয়ালী' — 'On the evening of Maha Shashthi, on a Durga Puja parikrama — Unnayan Sangha, Barodowali.' Four photographs accompanied the post, capturing the Chief Minister amid the festive atmosphere.
A Chief Minister among the pandals
Durga Puja is among the most widely observed festivals in Tripura, a state with a large Bengali Hindu population. The five-day celebration draws communities together around elaborately decorated pandals, with Shashthi marking the formal invocation of the goddess. For state leaders in northeastern India, the parikrama — a tour of multiple Puja venues — is a well-established tradition of cultural engagement, allowing direct interaction with local associations and neighbourhood committees. Unnayan Sangha of Barodowali is one of the community organisations that anchors Puja celebrations in its locality, embodying the grassroots character of the festival across Tripura's towns and localities.Outreach through celebration
For a chief minister, the parikrama carries quiet political and social weight. It is a moment to be present — not at a podium, but among people at their most festive. In states like Tripura, where Bengali cultural identity runs deep, participation in Durga Puja is both personal and public, a signal of shared heritage. Dr. Saha's evening visit to Barodowali is likely one stop among several across the festival days. With Saptami, Ashtami, and Navami still ahead, the Chief Minister's parikrama is far from over.Point of View
Visible participation in Puja festivities carries soft but real political value. It also reinforces the BJP's broader messaging of cultural pride as governance.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Tripura CM Manik Saha go on Maha Shashthi 2026?
Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha visited the Durga Puja pandal of Unnayan Sangha in Barodowali, Tripura, on the evening of Maha Shashthi, October 16, 2026.
What is a Durga Puja parikrama?
A parikrama refers to a tour of multiple Durga Puja pandals during the festival, a tradition commonly followed by political leaders, community figures, and devotees in Bengali-majority regions.
What is Unnayan Sangha Barodowali?
Unnayan Sangha is a local community association in the Barodowali locality of Tripura that organises Durga Puja celebrations for its neighbourhood.
What is Maha Shashthi in Durga Puja?
Maha Shashthi is the sixth day of the Durga Puja festival and marks the formal invocation and unveiling of the goddess, signalling the start of the main celebratory phase.
How big is Durga Puja in Tripura?
Durga Puja is one of the most widely observed festivals in Tripura, reflecting the state's large Bengali Hindu population, with hundreds of community pandals set up across towns and localities every year.
