In 2025, Goddess Durga will be on the “cloud”.
Tradition will ride on technology, and AI will power the Puja on the IIHM Global Campus in Salt Lake.
In the fourth edition, IIHM is using AI and sustainability to “enrich, preserve and globalise the essence of Durga Puja”.
The institute’s AI assistant will guide visitors through the meanings, customs and stories associated with the goddess in multiple languages.
And there will be AI-generated walkthroughs that will enable people to take a virtual tour of the pandal.
Sandhi puja, which heralds the beginning of Navami, will be at the fingertips of a generation that is more inclined to eschew rituals and for those sweating it out at work, especially in the hospitality industry.
AI would make it possible for them to offer anjali by clicking a link, IIHM promises.
“We are trying to retain our tradition through AI. Rituals and tradition will be on the mobile phone, which is an initiative not to replace tradition with technology but to make it stronger and capture the essence of Durga Puja in its entirety,” said Suborno Bose, chief mentor and founder of the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM).
“AI is not just about machines. It’s about memory and meaning, and if we can use it right, it can help young people discover the depth behind our age-old rituals in ways they relate to, which is interactive, visual and personal,” he said.
Durga 5.0-AI for Humanity or Shakti Meets Shakti: The Goddess & Artificial Intelligence is the tag line of this Puja. The celebrations are
not just “smart but also sustainable”.
This year, World Tourism Day coincides with Sashthi.
The food stalls by students will serve menus curated with ideas borrowed from AI to minimise waste.
Tea leaves will be used to make cookies after the tea has been made. Eggshells can be crushed to extract juice for use in a cake.
“AI helps us generate sustainable ideas, and with those, chefs can rustle up a meal,” said a teacher.
With the help of AI-powered waste monitoring tools, IIHM kitchens will track food waste during the festive week.