Amit Shah in Kolkata: Belur Math and Durga Puja pandals on Sunday itinerary
Synopsis
Home Minister Amit Shah flies into Kolkata on Saturday night for a brief, apolitical Durga Puja visit — Belur Math at 11 am Sunday, five community pandals across Howrah and Kolkata, and a departure by 3.05 pm. It is his second consecutive Durga Puja visit to the state, but the first under a new BJP-led West Bengal government — a context that makes even a 'festive only' trip politically charged.
Key Takeaways
Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrives at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at 8.10 pm on Saturday, 18 October , flying in from Ahmedabad .
On Sunday, 19 October , he visits Belur Math from 11.10 am to 11.50 am , participating in Durga Puja and interacting with monks.
He will visit five community Durga Puja pandals in total — two in Howrah , one in South Kolkata , and two in North Kolkata .
No political or administrative programme is scheduled; a BJP state committee member confirmed Shah is unlikely to give any political statement.
This is the first Durga Puja under Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari 's government in West Bengal .
Shah departs Kolkata at 3.05 pm on Sunday for New Delhi .
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to arrive in Kolkata on Saturday, 18 October 2025, touching down at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at approximately 8.10 pm IST on a flight from Ahmedabad. The visit is a short cultural stopover, with the Home Minister heading straight to the state government guest house in Alipore, South Kolkata, and no public engagements scheduled for Saturday evening.
Sunday Itinerary: Belur Math First
Shah's primary engagement on Sunday, 19 October will be a visit to Belur Math, the international headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission — founded by Swami Vivekananda — situated in Howrah district, adjacent to Kolkata. He is expected to arrive at 11.10 am and stay until 11.50 am, during which he will participate in the Durga Puja organised within the Math premises and interact with resident monks.
Pandal Visits Across Howrah and Kolkata
After Belur Math, the Home Minister will tour two prominent community Durga Puja pandals in Howrah before returning to the state guest house for lunch. The afternoon programme includes visits to three additional pandals — one in South Kolkata and two in North Kolkata. Shah is scheduled to depart from Kolkata airport at 3.05 pm for New Delhi, making this a tightly packed day trip with no political or administrative events on the agenda.
No Political Message This Time, Says BJP Leader
A West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader confirmed that the visit carries no political programme. 'He is also unlikely to give any sort of political message this time amid the ambience of festivity in the state,' a state committee member was quoted as saying. The absence of any rally or administrative review marks a deliberate shift in tone for a visit coinciding with one of India's most celebrated festivals.
Context: First Durga Puja Under New West Bengal Government
This year's Durga Puja is notably the first since a change of government in West Bengal. Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari inaugurated the celebrations at Eden Gardens on Mahalaya earlier this month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reportedly been expected to attend that event but was unable to do so. Shah's visit last year included stops at the Santosh Mitra Square community Puja — associated with BJP legislator Sajal Ghosh — and an inauguration at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre in Salt Lake. This year's itinerary, by contrast, steers clear of any BJP-linked pandals, underscoring the festival-first framing of the trip.
Point of View
And Shah's presence — however 'apolitical' — is a visible assertion of the new political order. His decision to skip any BJP-linked pandal this year, unlike in 2024, suggests a studied restraint designed to reinforce a statesmanlike image rather than a partisan one. Whether the calculation translates into broader public goodwill in a state where the BJP's victory remains recent and contested will be the longer-term read.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Amit Shah arrive in Kolkata and what is his schedule?
Amit Shah arrives at Kolkata's Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at approximately 8.10 pm on Saturday, 18 October, from Ahmedabad. On Sunday, he visits Belur Math from 11.10 am to 11.50 am, then tours five Durga Puja pandals across Howrah and Kolkata before departing for New Delhi at 3.05 pm.
What is Belur Math and why is it significant?
Belur Math is the international headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, located in Howrah district adjacent to Kolkata. It is one of India's most revered spiritual institutions and hosts its own Durga Puja celebrations each year.
Will Amit Shah make any political statements during his Kolkata visit?
According to a West Bengal BJP state committee member, the visit carries no political or administrative programme and Shah is unlikely to give any political message given the festive atmosphere. The itinerary consists entirely of religious and cultural stops.
Is this Amit Shah's first Durga Puja visit to West Bengal?
No, Shah also visited West Bengal during Durga Puja the previous year, when he attended the Santosh Mitra Square community Puja and inaugurated a pandal at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre in Salt Lake. This year's visit is his second consecutive Durga Puja trip to the state.
What is the political context of this Durga Puja in West Bengal?
This Durga Puja is the first since the change of government in West Bengal, with BJP's Shuvendu Adhikari now serving as Chief Minister. Adhikari inaugurated the Puja celebrations at Eden Gardens on Mahalaya, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was reportedly expected to attend, could not be present.
