Puja on Track: Kolkata’s Metro Pandal Trail
Kolkata: With Durga Puja drawing crowds across Kolkata, the city’s Metro network offers one of the most convenient ways to explore several popular pujas while avoiding congested roads. A station-wise puja guide highlights community celebrations located close to key Metro stations, making it easier for revellers to plan their pandal-hopping trips.
The route covers several prominent neighbourhoods, beginning in the northern parts of the city and extending towards south Kolkata. Stations such as Dum Dum, Belgachia, Shyambazar, Shobhabazar-Sutanuti and Girish Park provide access to a number of well-known pujas in north Kolkata.
Further south, M.G. Road, Central, Chandni Chowk and Esplanade connect visitors with several established puja venues. From Esplanade, pandal-hoppers can continue towards Park Street, Maidan, Rabindra Sadan and Netaji Bhawan, where numerous community pujas are held within the surrounding neighbourhoods.
The southern stretch of the route includes Jatindas Park, Kalighat and Rabindra Sarobar. These stations are particularly useful for visitors looking to explore pujas in areas such as Kalighat, Ballygunge and surrounding localities. The guide also points towards celebrations near Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Netaji, extending the puja trail further south.
The Metro-linked puja circuit continues through Masterda Surya Sen, Gitanjali, Kavi Nazrul and Shahid Khudiram, eventually reaching the southern end of the network. Kavi Subhash, too, features as an important point on the route.
The station-wise list includes a wide range of neighbourhood pujas, from traditional community celebrations to popular Sarbojanin events. Among the names highlighted are pujas associated with Badamtala, Deshapriya Park, Ekdalia Evergreen, Singhee Park, Suruchi Sangha, Mudiali and 41 Pally, among others.
For visitors, the biggest advantage of following a Metro-based route is the ability to cover multiple pujas without depending entirely on cars or buses. With large crowds expected during the festive days, travelling between major pandal zones by Metro can also help reduce time spent in road traffic.
The guide effectively turns Kolkata’s Metro corridor into a pandal-hopping map, linking major stations with some of the city’s best-known Puja destinations. For both residents and visitors, it offers a practical way to experience the festive atmosphere while keeping travel relatively simple.
In short, this Puja season, the Metro can be more than just a mode of transport—it can be the backbone of a Kolkata pandal-hopping plan.
