Durga Puja Oct 19, 2023

Durga Puja is a Hindu festival spanning ten days, according to the Hindu calendar. Devotees set up pandals and display huge idols of Goddess Durga along with Saraswati, Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha and Kartikeya. Durga can be seen defeating the demon Mahishasura, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. Each year, as the festival approaches, the atmosphere of Kolkata undergoes a transformation as communities come together to celebrate. Months ahead of the festival artisans construct exquisite idols of the goddess, after which they are meticulously adorned with vibrant clothing as well as jewellery. In December 2021, the United Nations recognised Durga Puja in Kolkata as part of the world"s cultural heritage. It"s now listed as an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO. On the last day of the festival, the clay idols are immersed in the same river from which the earth was sourced along with the beating of drums.

© Rob Pinney/Alamy Stock Photo

palette

Today in History

Wait, mountain – you shall bear my castle!
Oct 19, 2024Temple of Hathor, Dendera Temple Complex, Qena, Egypt
Oct 19, 2025Apples ready for harvest, Minnesota, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Feb 4, 2024Devetashka Cave, Devetaki, Bulgaria
Dec 25, 2024Merry Christmas!
Apr 28, 2025Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Jan 5, 2025Pushkarni, Sri Krishna Temple, Hampi, Karnataka
This blue succulent is as good as gold here
Apr 18, 2026World Heritage Day
Oct 17, 2025Rock River Falls, Upper Peninsula, Michigan, United States
Giddy family fun
Oct 7, 2024The Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany
Sep 7, 2025Gdańsk on the banks of the Motława river, Poland
Dec 11, 2025International Mountain Day
What are they celebrating?
Hot enough to howl
Dec 28, 2023Humpback whale
Season of light in the City of Light
Where can you find this cute creature?
Spring is the time for billing
Dec 3, 2023Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Nov 27, 2025Eastbourne Pier, East Sussex, England
Dec 28, 2024Dudhsagar Falls, Goa
A life-sized snow globe
Dec 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Jan 10, 2026The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee at sunrise, Zermatt, Switzerland
Sep 21, 2024Munich, Germany
Feb 15, 2026Celebrating Maha Shivaratri
Mar 31, 2024Happy Easter!
Jan 3, 2024Virupaksha temple, Hampi, Karnataka
Family on parade
Aug 13, 2025Corona Arch near Moab, Utah, United States
Jan 16, 2025Pinnacles National Park, California, United States