CM Manik Saha visits Kailashahar Durga Puja pandal on Maha Saptami
Synopsis
Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha visited the Shrirampur Puja Committee pandal in Kailashahar on Maha Saptami, seeking the blessings of Maa Durga and joining the state's large-scale Durga Puja celebrations on October 17, 2026.
Key Takeaways
Manik Saha visited the Shrirampur Puja Committee pandal in Kailashahar on Maha Saptami, October 17, 2026 .
The visit took place in Unakoti district , northern Tripura, on one of the most spiritually significant mornings of the Durga Puja calendar.
Saha posted in Bengali on X, describing the experience as receiving the divine darshan of Maa Durga.
Tripura's Bengali-majority population observes Durga Puja on a large scale, with pandals across all districts.
Further festival visits by the Chief Minister are expected during the remaining peak days — Ashtami and Navami .
On the auspicious occasion of Maha Saptami, Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha visited the Shrirampur Puja Committee pandal in Kailashahar on Saturday, October 17, 2026, seeking the blessings of Maa Durga and joining thousands of devotees in one of the state's most widely observed festivals.
Posting in Bengali, the Chief Minister wrote: 'মহা সপ্তমীর পুণ্যলগ্নে কৈলাসহরের শ্রীরামপুর পূজা কমিটি আয়োজিত দুর্গাপূজার প্যান্ডেল পরিদর্শন করে মা দুর্গার পবিত্র দর্শন লাভ করার সৌভাগ্য হয়।' — 'On the sacred occasion of Maha Saptami, I had the good fortune of visiting the Durga Puja pandal organised by the Shrirampur Puja Committee in Kailashahar and receiving the divine darshan of Maa Durga.'
Kailashahar's Shrirampur Puja Committee at the centre of the visit
Kailashahar, the headquarters of Unakoti district in northern Tripura, is among the state's culturally active towns during the Durga Puja season. The Shrirampur Puja Committee is one of the local organisers that brings the festival to life through elaborately constructed pandals and public celebrations. Dr. Saha's visit placed the committee — and the town — squarely in the state's festive spotlight.Durga Puja in Tripura: a festival woven into the state's fabric
Tripura's Bengali-majority demographic makes Durga Puja among the grandest public occasions in the state calendar. Temporary pandals spring up across districts, drawing families for darshan (divine viewing), cultural programmes, and community gatherings across the five-day celebration. Maha Saptami — the seventh day of the lunar fortnight — marks the formal awakening of the goddess and is one of the festival's most spiritually charged mornings. For elected leaders in the northeast, pandal visits during Durga Puja serve a dual purpose: personal devotion and direct community outreach. Dr. Saha, a practising physician and a regular face at Tripura's cultural and religious events, has made such engagements a visible part of his public persona since taking office. With the festival's peak days — Ashtami and Navami — still ahead, further pandal visits by the Chief Minister across the state are widely expected.Point of View
Visible participation in the festival reinforces its outreach to the state's dominant linguistic and cultural community. The visit to Kailashahar in Unakoti district — rather than the capital Agartala — also signals attention to a region that sits outside the usual political centre of gravity.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did CM Manik Saha visit for Durga Puja on Maha Saptami 2026?
CM Dr. Manik Saha visited the Shrirampur Puja Committee pandal in Kailashahar , Unakoti district, Tripura on Maha Saptami, October 17, 2026 .
What is Maha Saptami in Durga Puja?
Maha Saptami is the seventh day of the Durga Puja festival, considered one of its most spiritually significant mornings as it marks the formal awakening ( bodhan ) and full invocation of Goddess Durga.
Why does Tripura celebrate Durga Puja on a large scale?
Tripura has a large Bengali-majority population , and Durga Puja is the most important cultural and religious festival for Bengali communities, resulting in widespread pandal celebrations across the state's districts.
Who is Dr. Manik Saha?
Dr. Manik Saha is the Chief Minister of Tripura and a senior BJP leader. A practising physician, he has been Chief Minister since 2022 and is known for actively participating in the state's cultural and religious events.
Where is Kailashahar located?
Kailashahar is the headquarters of Unakoti district in northern Tripura and is one of the culturally active towns in the state during the Durga Puja season.
