The assertion of Bengali identity and language forms the backdrop of several Durga Puja pandals this year, drawing from Bengal’s legacy, Partition, and recent crackdowns on Bengali-speaking people.
From Barnaparichay, the foundational Bengali text that standardised the alphabet, to the Bhasha Andolan, in which students died defending their language, and visual tributes to filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak’s Partition-era narratives: Puja organisers are turning pandals into spaces of cultural memory and protest.
Since May, there has been a nationwide crackdown on Bengali-speaking people — mostly working-class Muslims — under the pretext of identifying “illegal immigrants”. A Delhi Police station referred to Bengali as a “Bangladeshi language”, and BJP’s social media head Amit Malviya declared that “there is no language called Bengali”.
Organisers of multiple themed pujas said their concepts were developed much before May, but the ongoing attacks on linguistic identity have made their messages more urgent.
Ami Banglay Bolchhi
At Chaltabagan Sarbojanin on DL Roy Street, now in its 81st year, the theme is “Ami Banglay Bolchhi (I am speaking in Bengali)”. A tree-like installation depicting the evolution of the Bengali language will greet visitors at the entrance.
The Puja stands on a road named after poet, playwright and musician Dwijendralal Roy, and next to his former home.
Inside the pandal, visitors will find tapestries inspired by Barnaparichay and Sahaj Path — the iconic Bengali primers by Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar and Rabindranath Tagore — as well as a wall commemorating the martyrs of the Bhasha Andolan.
The goddess is modelled as a teacher, with her children as students.
“The mother tongue is like the mother, and so languages should be respected,” said Pradipta Karmakar, the artist.
“We wanted to celebrate the language and its torchbearers. The crackdown on Bengalis has made this more relevant,” added Mausam Mukherjee, the puja’s general secretary.
Partition & Ghatak
At Adarshapally Sarbojanin Durgotsab on Roy Bahadur Road in Behala, the pandal marks the centenary of Ritwik Ghatak and pays tribute to his 1960 film, Meghe Dhaka Tara.
The film follows Nita, a young woman forced to sacrifice her dreams to support her family after Partition, becoming a symbol of the resilience of the displaced Bengali community.
“Partition shaped Bengali identity and is integral to Ghatak’s films,” said Shankar Ghosh, president of the puja committee. “Recent events have brought Partition and its aftermath back into conversation.”
Artists Avik Sen and Shuvam Banerjee have worked on the pandal for over four months. Oil paintings on tin walls depict refugee families fleeing on overcrowded trains, while another wall features thrones made of scissors, symbolising rulers drawing arbitrary borders.
“The thrones represent the rulers who divide people to stay in power. Even now, things have not changed. The rulers are still busy stoking division and hatred,” said Sen.
The idol, crafted by Mintu Pal, is modelled on Nita, portrayed by Supriya Choudhury in the film. The puja marks its 68th year.
Barbed wire
In its inaugural year, the Jawpur Jayashree Durga Puja near Dum Dum Hanuman Mandir presents a living protest against the crackdown on Bengali-speaking communities.
Barbed wire fencing, a detention camp and a sculpture of a man in a cage with his arms branching out like a tree beyond the bars. These are some of the installations at the pandal.
“It shows that Bengali identity and language cannot be caged or confined. They will grow beyond every cage,” said Tinku Ghosh, the artist.
Protest platform
Billed as one of the largest public art festivals in the world, Durga Puja has long been a medium for cultural commentary. This year, artists are using it to respond to what they see as systemic targeting of Bengali identity.
“Protest art can be displayed in galleries or museums, but the reach is limited. A Puja pandal draws hundreds of thousands from all sections of society. The message travels farther,” said Sen, the Adarsha pally artist.
“The harassment of Bengali-speaking people has become routine. It’s fresh in people’s minds. Our pandal speaks to that pain and anger,” said Ghosh, who designed the Jawpur Jayashree pandal. “What better platform than Bengal’s biggest festival?”