Sonowal Seeks Maa Durga's Blessings at Ledo and Digboi Pandals
Synopsis
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited puja pandals at Ledo's Barowari Puja Samiti and Digboi's Janata Puja Samiti on Maha Saptami, calling Durga Puja a shared heritage that binds society in unity and harmony.
Key Takeaways
Union Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited puja pandals in Ledo and Digboi , Assam, on Maha Saptami, October 17, 2026 .
He sought blessings at the Barowari Puja Samiti in Ledo, which the samiti says has been organising the festival for 125 years .
He also visited Digboi's Janata Puja Samiti , which is celebrating its Golden Jubilee year.
Digboi MLA Suren Phukan accompanied Sonowal during both visits.
Sonowal described Durga Puja as 'a shared heritage strengthening the bonds of unity, harmony and brotherhood in our society.' Both towns fall in Tinsukia district , Assam — a historically significant region known for oil production and wartime supply routes.
On the sacred night of Maha Saptami, Union Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal stepped into the heart of Assam's oldest community celebrations — visiting puja pandals in Ledo and Digboi on Saturday, October 17, 2026, and calling Durga Puja 'a shared heritage strengthening the bonds of unity, harmony and brotherhood in our society.'
A century-old samiti and a golden jubilee, one evening
The Minister's first stop was the Barowari Puja Samiti in Ledo, a community organisation the samiti claims has been organising the festival for 125 years. From there, he crossed to Digboi — the Assamese oil town home to Asia's oldest operating refinery — to join the Janata Puja Samiti, which is marking its Golden Jubilee year. Two pandals, two very different milestone anniversaries, one shared evening of devotion.
Digboi MLA Suren Phukan accompanied Sonowal through both visits, alongside other dignitaries. For a region defined by its deep industrial and wartime history — Ledo was the launching point of the legendary Ledo Road supply route in World War II — the puja pandals remain among the most durable civic institutions in the district.
Sonowal's message: prosperity, joy, and renewed hope
Posting on X after the visits, Sonowal conveyed a blessing that extended well beyond the pandal crowds: 'May Maa's blessings touch every life with prosperity, joy and renewed hope.' The language was deliberate — inclusive, community-first, and rooted in the festival's role as a social adhesive across Assam's diverse communities.
For Sonowal — who served as Chief Minister of Assam from 2016 to 2021 before moving to the Union Cabinet — appearances at constituency-level cultural events are a consistent feature of his public calendar, keeping ties to his home state strong even from a central ministerial post in New Delhi.
Durga Puja in Assam's Tinsukia district, which covers both Ledo and Digboi, draws participation across community lines each year, and central ministers returning to mark the occasion in person signal more than routine constituency engagement — they underscore the festival's place as one of Northeast India's most unifying public moments. The goddess, this Saptami, had no shortage of senior visitors.
Point of View
Senior BJP figures attending major cultural-religious festivals in the Northeast reflects the party's sustained outreach strategy in a region where community institutions carry outsized civic authority. The optics of a central minister and a sitting MLA appearing together at the same pandal also quietly reinforces coordination between Delhi and Dispur ahead of any future electoral cycle.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Sarbananda Sonowal attend Durga Puja in 2026?
Sonowal attended Durga Puja at the Barowari Puja Samiti in Ledo and the Janata Puja Samiti in Digboi, both in Tinsukia district, Assam, on Maha Saptami, October 17, 2026.
How old is the Barowari Puja Samiti in Ledo?
The Barowari Puja Samiti in Ledo claims a history of 125 years of organising Durga Puja celebrations in the town.
What is the Digboi Janata Puja Samiti's Golden Jubilee?
The Janata Puja Samiti in Digboi is celebrating its 50th year — its Golden Jubilee — of organising Durga Puja in the 2026 festival season.
Who is Suren Phukan?
Suren Phukan is the sitting MLA from the Digboi constituency who accompanied Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during his Maha Saptami pandal visits.
Why is Digboi historically significant?
Digboi in Tinsukia district, Assam, is home to India's first oil well and Asia's oldest operating refinery, established in 1901, making it one of the most historically important industrial towns in Northeast India.
