Durga Puja’s Artistic Legacy Will Take The Global Stage At 'Preview Show 2025'

Every autumn, as the air begins to cool and cotton-white clouds appear on a pale blue sky, Bengal awakens to its most important festival: Durga Puja. In Kolkata, Durga Puja — simply 'Pujo' for Bengalis — is more akin to the Rio Carnival than a religious festival. Here, Durga Puja transcends sectarian boundaries to become a collective, city-wide celebration of community, creativity, and cultural pride. For over a century, the city's pandals — ephemeral, site-specific architectural marvels housing the goddess and her divine children — have transformed the urban landscape into what UNESCO has recognised as the world's largest publicly-funded art event.

UNESCO's 2021 inscription of Durga Puja on the 'List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity' describes it as "the best instance of the public performance of religion and art, and a thriving ground for collaborative artists and designers". Truly, no two Durga Pujas are alike: each neighbourhood offers its own artistic interpretation, creating a citywide open-air exhibition that rivals international biennales. In Kolkata, what began as a devotional practice has evolved into a democratic, community-driven art form — one where traditional craftsmanship meets avant-garde experimentation, and where commercial sponsorship sustains a vast ecosystem of collective creativity.

This is the context within which the 4th Edition of the Preview Show 2025, curated by massArt in collaboration with UNESCO, takes place. Running from September 18 to 22, 2025, across the City of Joy, the Preview Show offers a guided tour of Kolkata's best Durga Puja art before the main festivities start. This year's program will feature 24 contemporary pandals, one traditional pandal, and one Bonedi Bari-r pujo, all exclusive to pre-registered visitors. It offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creation of some of Bengal's most celebrated public art projects.

Over the years, the Preview Show has attracted diplomats, scholars, art enthusiasts, and photographers from around the world, firmly positioning Kolkata as a global capital of community-driven art. The 2025 edition marks an important milestone: the launch of a dedicated Art Fair at the Alipore Jail Museum, showcasing the broader creative practices orbiting Durga Puja. Additionally, new multimedia presentations, international artistic partnerships, and the annual Festival Photography Contest also promise to deepen engagement with both local and global visitors. With each passing year, the event demonstrates how Durga Puja continues to evolve — while all at once remaining devotional and secular; traditional and experimental; intimate and spectacular.

The 4th edition of the massART x UNESCO Preview Show for Durga Puja art is taking place from September 18 to 22, 2025. Learn more about the event and register for passes here.

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How A 93-Year-Old Radio Play Became An Essential Part Of Bengali Pujo Culture

Bonedi Bari-r Pujo: Experience The Gilded Allure Of Kolkata's Founding Families' Durga Pujas

Beyond Tradition: The Cultural Evolution Of Durga Puja In Modern-Era Kolkata