I had written an article last year for our foreign ministry's website, where I talked about how there is more to Durga Puja than religious beliefs and that it is more of a cultural festival. In fact, to the younger people that I have spoken to, the rich culture and ideas depicted in each pandal are more important than the rituals. Their parents, they say, are the believers, not so much them. In fact, many do not even know what weapons the goddess is holding!

In Chinese, the term "pandal" roughly translates to " shen peng", which means holy tent. But frankly, after two Puja seasons in Calcutta, we refer to them more as pandals even when we are speaking in our native tongue.

The beautiful pandals fill your heart with happiness. There is so much pushing as people in the crowds rush into each other but no one minds it as their goal is the same - to see and admire as many pandals as they can. It's a kind of holy enthusiasm!

The artists' main concern is to present a beautiful structure and design, but to the organisers it is the safety of the big crowds that should be of utmost importance. That is what I had kept in mind while stepping out as a judge on Friday with the CESC The Telegraph True Spirit team.

At Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha, the puja that scored the highest on the East route, safety and security have been given the most importance. This thoughtfulness is reflected in the arrangements for medical treatment. Other than fire extinguishers, they have six hose pipes to draw water using two submersible pumps. I also spotted an emergency exit.

At the neighbouring Dum Dum Park Bharat Chakra, the material for the intricate filigree work is copper and hence fireproof. They have made good use of the road space. They also have many volunteers to maintain order.

I must say I was quite struck by the idea of bees at Rashmoni Bagan Kishore Sangha. Bees represent democracy. Every bee is equal. The material used to create a beehive is simple - colourful paper cups of uniform size. It is also recyclable.

At Purbalok Sarbojanin Durgotsab, possibly the puja with the lowest budget on this route, there is every facility that the first two have. It is just that the presentation looks less expensive. The electric board is smaller, the toilet simpler... This, I admit, put me in a dilemma about how to rank them.

I have handed in my score sheet and my duty as a TSP judge may be over, but not so my pandal-hopping (we are using that term a lot at the consulate these days!). I will be off again for another tryst with what I have found to be a truly inclusive festival.

The TSP judge is the consul-general, People’s Republic of China, in Calcutta and went on the East route