Tala Prattoy Durgotsav

Brief History of Tala Prattoy Durgotsav:

• Establishment & Age: Tala Prattoy Durgotsav is a historic North Kolkata puja, currently celebrating its 100th year in 2025, marking its inception in the year 1925.
• Location: 8/1, Rajkumar Chatterjee Road, Tala Park, Kolkata- 700037, North Kolkata.

Themes

• Renowned for Conceptual Art: Tala Prattoy Puja has established itself as Kolkata’s game-changing art-driven puja, known for transforming public space into immersive art installations and using Durga Puja as a living canvas for Bengal’s best installation artists.
• Recent and Current Themes:
  • 2025: BijAngan (“Seed Courtyard”) – A theme named by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, conceptualized by artist Bhobotosh Sutar, focusing on the idea of seeds, growth, and greenery as a symbol of environmental consciousness. It invites viewers to experience the creative process of nature through art.
  • 2024: Vihin (“Void”) – A theme created by Susanta Shibani Paul, this concept was about search for durga in art practice is gradually leading towards an infinite horizon, where durga was only a formless sense of existence.
  • 2023: Kahon (“Narration”) – A theme created by Susanta Paul, this concept blended personal storytelling with Kolkata’s and Durga Puja’s broader cultural narrative. The pandal integrated the artist’s personal effects and living space within the installation, providing an intimate and reflective visitor experience.
  • Pandemic Years: Unrestricted21 (2021) saw the pandal express the containment and eventual release from restrictions, using a 50-feet outer shell to symbolize the “inaccessible existence” of the COVID-19 era, removed to reveal the inner sanctum and art.
• Ongoing: Each year’s theme builds an immersive world, often accompanied by special light and sound installations and sometimes a guided tour led by the artist themselves.

USP:

• Pioneering Art Pandal: Tala Prattoy is celebrated as perhaps Kolkata’s most “maverick” and avant-garde installation art Durga Puja, drawing art lovers, photographers, and cultural critics from all over India.
• Artist-Driven: With artists like Susanta Paul and Bhobotosh Sutar leading concept and execution, viewers experience not just a festival but a live, experiential art show – often including the artist in residence within the pandal itself.
• Story & Community: Themes frequently center on narrative, memory, learning, or community roots, making the pandal as much about connection and reflection as spectacle.
• Environmental & Social Messages: Many recent themes explore pressing social topics such as green awareness, resilience during pandemics, and heritage preservation.

Additional Notes:

• Recognition & Prestige: Tala Prattoy Puja is consistently listed among Kolkata’s most creative and must-visit pujas, winning major art and design awards – including accolades from Asian Paints for exceptional creativity and execution.
• Musical & Cultural Events: The committee also holds events like “Music in a Park,” integrating classical music and culture into the festival environment.

In summary:

Tala Prattoy Durgotsav, now nearing a century, is famed for its radical art installations and conceptual themes – led by visionary artists and blending tradition, storytelling, and contemporary social issues. It’s recognized as North Kolkata’s destination for experimental and intellectual Durga Puja artistry.