Devotees and visitors gather at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, where elaborate idol installations and vibrant decorations bring the city alive during the festive season. (Image Credits: iStock) Durga Puja in Kolkata is on another scale altogether, with thousands of pandals across the city turning the festival into a ten-day open-air art exhibition as much as a religious one. Here are six of the city’s most well-known pandals to visit this year. Known for some of the biggest, most elaborate pandal builds in the city, Sreebhumi has previously recreated landmarks like Vatican City and Disneyland at full scale. Its pandals draw enormous crowds every year, built around dazzling lighting and intricate idol design that changes completely each season, so even longtime pandal-hoppers rarely know what to expect until it’s unveiled. Elaborate structures, intricate decorations and dramatic lighting are hallmarks of Kolkata's grand Durga Puja pandals, a tradition that draws thousands of visitors every year. (Image Credits: iStock) Set near Kumartuli, the traditional idol-makers’ hub where most of Kolkata’s Durga idols are actually sculpted, this pandal leans into bold, avant-garde themes. Past editions have tackled ideas around ambition, identity and artistry, giving it a reputation as one of the more experimental pandals in the city, less concerned with grandeur than with making people stop and think. Distinctive idol designs and creative installations reflect the artistic imagination that makes Durga Puja a celebration of both culture and craftsmanship. In South Kolkata, Tridhara Sammelani is known for fusing tradition with modern artistry, from striking pandal interiors to creative lighting design. The idol itself is usually given a distinctive treatment each year, making it a regular stop for people tracking how pandal design has evolved over the years, season after season. Decorative interiors, innovative lighting and artistic details bring a contemporary touch to the traditional celebrations of Durga Puja. (Image Credits: iStock) Also in South Kolkata, Suruchi Sangha has built a reputation for immersive pandals designed like miniature cultural showcases, often recreating the art, architecture or crafts of a specific part of India. It has picked up numerous awards over the years for its themes, and tends to draw visitors who come specifically to study the detailing rather than just pass through. Traditional motifs, detailed craftsmanship and regional artistic influences turn Durga Puja pandals into showcases of India's diverse cultural heritage. (Image Credits: iStock) Another South Kolkata regular, Ekdalia Evergreen is known for a tall, majestic idol set beneath a grand chandelier, and for managing some of the heaviest crowds in the city with practised efficiency. It has built a long-standing reputation for consistency rather than a single standout theme, the kind of pandal regulars return to every year almost out of habit. The goddess Durga and her accompanying deities remain at the heart of the festival, with detailed idols forming the centrepiece of community pandals. (Image Credits: iStock) Dating back to 1918, Bagbazar Sarbojonin is one of Kolkata’s oldest community pujas, and is often described as the first to be organised by a neighbourhood rather than hosted inside a single family’s home. It keeps a traditional ek-chala idol, and its rituals on Maha Sashthi, the festival’s sixth day, draw devotees and art enthusiasts alike, offering a quieter, more traditional counterpoint to the scale of the newer pandals. Traditional Bengali idol-making styles and time-honoured artistic details reflect the cultural heritage preserved by Kolkata's community pujas. (Image Credits: iStock) These six span Kolkata’s range, from century-old community traditions in the north to the elaborate, large-scale themes the south has become known for. Evenings bring the heaviest footfall and the longest queues, especially at the bigger pandals, so visiting on weekday mornings or early afternoons is often the easier way to see the artistry without the crush of Puja-night crowds.