Durgapuja 2026- Adani Preview Show
Beyond the Pandal: Three Artistic Worlds That Make Durga Puja a Must-See Experience
An exclusive preview of art, mythology and Bengal’s creative spirit at the Durga Puja showcase organised by the Adani Group.
Durga Puja has always been more than a festival. It is where faith meets imagination, where neighbourhoods become open-air galleries, and where artists transform stories passed down through generations into something we can experience with fresh eyes. This year, the Durga Puja preview showcase organised by the Adani Group offers a fascinating glimpse into that creative world, bringing together mythology, history, architecture and community storytelling through three distinctive artistic creations.
What makes this showcase special is not simply the grandeur of the installations, but the ideas behind them. Each creation invites visitors to pause, look closer and discover the stories hidden beneath the surface.
1. Kaalrekha: When Pillars Become Witnesses to Time
Artist concept: Deep Das and Eshika Chandra | Idol design: Saikat Basu
Some stories are not written in books. They stand silently in stone.
Kaalrekha: The Story of Verticals* explores the enduring significance of India's free-standing pillars, tracing their journey from early stone forms to the monumental pillars of the Mauryan and Gupta periods.
Through sculpture, immersive installations and visual art, the creation reimagines these vertical forms as symbols of power, memory, identity and the sacred. Rising from the earth towards the sky, a pillar becomes more than an architectural structure—it becomes a meeting point between the mortal and the eternal, evoking the primordial energy of Adi Shakti.
The concept is particularly compelling because it connects ancient civilisations with contemporary artistic expression. Kingdoms may disappear and landscapes may change, but certain forms continue to hold their ground, carrying fragments of history into the present.
Kaalrekha is an invitation to look at history differently—not as something distant and forgotten, but as a living presence that continues to shape our imagination.
2. The Ramayana: One Epic, Countless Retellings
Artist: Anirban Das
Few stories have travelled as far, or taken as many forms, as the Ramayana. Its characters and episodes have crossed generations, languages, borders and artistic traditions, finding new meaning in every retelling.
Artist Anirban Das explores this remarkable journey through The Ramayana – One Epic, Countless Retellings.
The installation draws inspiration from the many lives of the epic—from the Sanskrit tradition of Valmiki to Krittivasi Ramayana in Bengal and Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, as well as folk traditions, Southeast Asian interpretations, cinema and performance.
What gives this creation its distinctive character is its collective spirit. Rooted in the neighbourhood, the installation brings together artists, artisans and local residents, allowing multiple voices to contribute to a story that belongs to everyone.
Rather than presenting the Ramayana as a single, fixed narrative, the work celebrates its many interpretations. The epic becomes a shared cultural memory—one that changes in expression while continuing to connect people through its enduring themes.
For visitors, this is an opportunity to rediscover a familiar story through an unfamiliar lens and appreciate how mythology remains alive through the people who continue to tell it.
3. Ek Pukur Bhalobasha: A Pond Full of Memories
Artist: Bhaskar Saha
Sometimes, the most extraordinary stories begin with something wonderfully ordinary—a neighbourhood pond.
Ek Pukur Bhalobasha brings attention to the emotional and ecological significance of ponds in Bengal's everyday life. More than just bodies of water, these ponds have long been woven into the social fabric of Bengali neighbourhoods, serving as gathering places, reflecting local traditions and holding memories of generations.
The installation explores how urbanisation, pollution and commercialisation are gradually changing these familiar landscapes. As concrete replaces open spaces and old neighbourhoods transform, the pond becomes a powerful symbol of what communities risk losing—not only ecologically, but emotionally and culturally.
The strength of this concept lies in its familiarity. It reminds us of the places that rarely make headlines but quietly shape our lives: the pond where neighbours gather, where childhood memories take root, and where the rhythms of a community unfold.
By bringing this subject into the Durga Puja artistic landscape, Bhaskar Saha turns an everyday feature of Bengal into a larger conversation about conservation, belonging and collective responsibility.
It is a thoughtful reminder that preserving heritage does not always mean protecting grand monuments. Sometimes, it begins with protecting the places closest to home.
Three Installations, One Larger Story
Though distinct in their themes, the three creations share a common thread: they look beyond decoration to explore what art can preserve, question and communicate.
Kaalrekha looks towards the ancient past, finding meaning in the pillars that have survived the passage of time. The Ramayana celebrates the extraordinary ability of a story to evolve across cultures and generations. Ek Pukur Bhalobasha turns towards our immediate surroundings, asking us to reconsider the environmental and emotional value of familiar neighbourhood spaces.
Together, they reflect the wider spirit of Durga Puja in Bengal, where artistic expression is inseparable from history, community and the changing world around us.
A Must-See Preview of Bengal's Creative Spirit
The Adani Group's Durga Puja preview showcase is a reminder that the most memorable pandal experiences are not always about scale or spectacle alone. They are about the ideas that stay with us after we leave.
These three artistic creations offer different reasons to stop and look closer: the quiet grandeur of historical architecture, the timeless appeal of mythology and the intimate memories attached to a neighbourhood pond.
If you appreciate art that tells a story, celebrates Bengal's cultural identity and encourages you to see familiar things differently, this showcase is an absolute must-see. It is a fabulous artistic experience where tradition meets contemporary imagination, and where every installation offers something beyond the visual—a thought, a memory or a fresh perspective.
Because Durga Puja, at its finest, is not just something we visit. It is something we feel, discover and carry home with us.
