CM Manik Saha joins Durga Puja parikrama on Maha Shashthi
Synopsis
On the evening of Maha Shashthi, Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha undertook a Durga Puja parikrama, visiting celebrations at NBRC Club, Bans Bazar, and Nagerjala — continuing a tradition of civic participation in the state's most prominent community festival.
Key Takeaways
Tripura Chief Minister Dr.
Manik Saha visited Durga Puja pandals on the evening of Maha Shashthi, 16 October 2026 .
Venues included NBRC Club , Bans Bazar , and Nagerjala — all neighbourhood-level community celebrations.
The visit is part of a recurring tradition of puja parikramas by state chief ministers during the Durga Puja festival season.
Tripura has a large Bengali-speaking population for whom Durga Puja is the most significant annual festival.
Saha has served as Chief Minister of Tripura since 2022 .
On the auspicious evening of Maha Shashthi — the sixth day of the Durga Puja calendar — Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha stepped out into the festive lanes of Agartala for a puja parikrama (pandal-hopping procession), visiting community celebrations at NBRC Club, Bans Bazar, and Nagerjala on the evening of Friday, 16 October 2026.
The Chief Minister shared photographs from the visits on X, captioning them in Bengali: 'মহা ষষ্ঠীর সন্ধ্যায়, দুর্গা পূজা পরিক্রমায়' — 'On the evening of Maha Shashthi, on a Durga Puja parikrama.' The images capture the warmth of community pandals lit up for the occasion, with Dr. Saha participating in the celebrations alongside local residents.
Why Durga Puja carries special weight in Tripura
Tripura, a northeastern state with a significant Bengali-speaking population, treats Durga Puja as its most vibrant community festival. The four-day celebration — from Saptami through Dashami — draws enormous participation across the state, with neighbourhood clubs and puja committees investing heavily in pandal art, lighting, and cultural programmes. The festival is a moment where civic and cultural identities converge.
The parikrama as political tradition
Chief ministers and senior political figures across India's eastern and northeastern states routinely undertake puja parikramas — tours of major pandals — during the festival period. In Tripura, where Bengali cultural traditions run deep, the gesture carries particular resonance: it signals both personal faith and the government's acknowledgment of the festival's centrality to public life. Dr. Manik Saha, who has held the Chief Minister's office since 2022, has made such visits a visible part of his public calendar each year.
The three venues — NBRC Club, Bans Bazar, and Nagerjala — represent neighbourhood-level celebrations, underscoring that the CM's parikrama extended to grassroots community committees rather than only marquee events. The remaining days of the Puja week are expected to see further stops on the itinerary.
Point of View
Culturally attuned public engagement that reinforces the party's claim to be rooted in local tradition. In Tripura, where Bengali cultural identity is central to the electorate, participating in Durga Puja at the grassroots level — neighbourhood clubs, not just flagship events — is a deliberate signal. The optics matter: a CM walking community pandals projects accessibility and shared faith simultaneously. With state politics in flux, festival seasons consistently offer incumbents a low-risk, high-visibility opportunity to maintain public warmth.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Tripura CM Manik Saha go for Durga Puja parikrama in 2026?
On the evening of Maha Shashthi (16 October 2026), Dr. Manik Saha visited Durga Puja celebrations at NBRC Club, Bans Bazar, and Nagerjala as part of his puja parikrama.
What is Maha Shashthi in Durga Puja?
Maha Shashthi is the sixth day of the Durga Puja festival and marks the formal unveiling of the goddess idol (Bodhon), signalling the start of the main celebrations ahead of Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami.
Why do Indian chief ministers visit Durga Puja pandals?
Puja parikramas are a longstanding tradition among political leaders in eastern and northeastern India, combining personal religious participation with public engagement during the region's most prominent community festival.
How significant is Durga Puja in Tripura?
Durga Puja is the most widely celebrated festival in Tripura, reflecting the state's large Bengali-speaking population and its deep cultural ties to Bengali Hindu traditions.
When did Manik Saha become Chief Minister of Tripura?
Dr. Manik Saha became Chief Minister of Tripura in 2022, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
