FROM BELUR MATH’S SPIRITUAL SANCTUM TO SOVABAZAR’S ROYAL TRADITION: AMIT SHAH’S TWO-DAY DURGA PUJA TOUR PUTS BENGAL’S CULTURAL LANDSCAPE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

October 14, 2026

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit West Bengal on October 17 and 18 for a two-day Durga Puja tour featuring the spiritual institution of Belur Math, the historic Sovabazar Rajbari and several prominent community celebrations across Kolkata and its adjoining areas. The visit comes during the first Durga Puja season following the change of government in the state, giving the minister’s itinerary added political and cultural significance.

According to sources in the state BJP, Shah will arrive at Kolkata airport from Ahmedabad at approximately 8.10 pm on Saturday, October 17, the first day of Saptami. He is scheduled to travel to Soujanya, the state government guest house in Alipore, where he will stay overnight before beginning his engagements the following morning.

On Sunday, October 18, Shah’s programme will begin with a visit to Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in Howrah. He is expected to spend approximately 30 minutes at the institution and participate in its distinctive Durga Puja observances.

The visit to Belur Math places a prominent spiritual institution at the beginning of the minister’s festive itinerary. The monastery, associated with the teachings and legacy of Swami Vivekananda and the Ramakrishna movement, occupies an important place in Bengal’s religious and cultural life.

Following his visit to Belur Math, Shah is expected to travel to Deshbandhu Club in Bally, where he will visit its Durga Puja pandal. He will subsequently return to Soujanya for lunch before continuing his programme across Kolkata.

The afternoon itinerary includes the celebrated 24 Palli Durga Puja in Chetla, followed by a visit to the historic Sovabazar Rajbari. The latter is among north Kolkata’s best-known aristocratic households and is closely associated with the city’s centuries-old tradition of family-organised Durga Puja celebrations.

At Sovabazar Rajbari, Shah is expected to observe the traditional rituals and attend the aarti. The visit offers a contrast with the large community-organised pandals elsewhere on his schedule, highlighting the diversity of Bengal’s Durga Puja celebrations, from historic household traditions to expansive neighbourhood festivities.

The Union home minister is then expected to visit the Sreebhumi Sporting Club’s Durga Puja pandal before departing for Delhi from Kolkata airport later on Sunday. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is likely to accompany Shah during parts of the programme, according to sources familiar with the planned itinerary.

Notably, neither Santosh Mitra Square nor the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre in Salt Lake appears on this year’s schedule. Shah visited both locations during his Durga Puja tour in 2025. His visit to Santosh Mitra Square, organised by BJP leader Sajal Ghosh, and his inauguration of a Puja pandal at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre had formed prominent parts of last year’s programme.

The revised itinerary instead combines a visit to Belur Math with stops at traditional and community-organised Puja celebrations across Howrah and Kolkata. The selection brings together religious observance, Bengal’s historic aristocratic heritage and the contemporary culture of neighbourhood pandals.

The visit has also attracted political attention because it comes during the first Durga Puja following the change of government in West Bengal. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari inaugurated the festive season with a major programme at Eden Gardens on Mahalaya, while speculation about Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending the inauguration did not materialise. Shah’s subsequent two-day tour has therefore become a prominent event in the state’s festive calendar.

Durga Puja occupies a unique place in Bengal’s public life, combining religious worship with artistic expression, neighbourhood participation and the preservation of cultural traditions. Visits by senior political leaders to prominent pandals are an established feature of the festival, drawing public attention to the locations included in their schedules.

Shah’s planned tour reflects that combination of spirituality, heritage and contemporary public celebration. From Belur Math and Deshbandhu Club in Bally to Chetla 24 Palli, Sovabazar Rajbari and Sreebhumi, the itinerary spans several distinct traditions associated with Durga Puja in and around Kolkata.

With his arrival scheduled for October 17 and a full programme planned for October 18, the visit is expected to draw attention to the selected religious and cultural landmarks while adding a significant political dimension to Bengal’s ongoing Durga Puja festivities.