CM Manik Saha joins Panchami puja parikrama at Smriti Club
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
On the joyful evening of Panchami, Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha stepped out for a puja parikrama visit to Smriti Club on Thursday, October 15, 2026 — joining thousands of residents across the state in celebrating one of Tripura's most beloved festivals.
The Chief Minister shared the moment on X, writing in Bengali: 'পঞ্চমীর আনন্দঘন সন্ধ্যায় পূজা পরিক্রমায় - স্মৃতি ক্লাব' — 'In the joyful evening of Panchami, on a puja parikrama — Smriti Club.' Four photographs accompanied the post, capturing the festive atmosphere at the community pandal.
Smriti Club and Tripura's deep-rooted Durga Puja tradition
Durga Puja is the principal festival of Tripura, the northeastern state where community pandals light up neighbourhoods across its towns and villages for five days each year. Smriti Club is among the local organisations that anchor these celebrations, bringing residents together around elaborately crafted idols, cultural programmes, and shared devotion.
Panchami — the fifth day of Navaratri — marks the formal beginning of Durga Puja festivities for many communities, and an evening parikrama (a round of visits to pandals) is a cherished ritual for devotees and public figures alike.
A chief minister on the pandal circuit
For elected leaders in West Bengal, Tripura, and other states where Durga Puja is a cultural cornerstone, the parikrama is also an act of public engagement — visible, accessible, and deeply local. Dr. Manik Saha, who leads the BJP government in Tripura, has been a consistent participant in the state's festival calendar, using such moments to connect with residents outside the formal machinery of governance.
With Panchami behind him, the Chief Minister's parikrama is expected to continue through the remaining days of the festival. The streets of Tripura will stay alive with colour and ceremony through Dashami.