Eden Gardens, with a seating capacity of 68,000, will host the Mahalaya event, which the Bengal govt hopes will set a world record
Kolkata: The Bengal govt will invite PM Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah to attend a mega event at Eden Gardens on Mahalaya (Oct 10), which will ring in Durga Puja festivity. The govt is aiming for a slot in record books with the programme, much like Assam’s Bihu performance in April 2023 and a traditional dance programme in Andhra Pradesh last month, both of which made it to Guinness World Records . Kolkata’s Durga Puja earned international recognition and was inscribed on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021. The govt hopes that the Oct 10 programme would be grander than the events in Assam and Andhra Pradesh.
Officials said the govt wants to organise the Mahalaya event keeping in mind the spirit of Durga Puja, which transcends religion and embraces art and cultural heritage of the state. The event on Mahalaya could be used to promote Bengal as a festival tourism destination, officials said. Eden Gardens, officials said, is a much bigger venue than Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, which hosted the record-breaking Bihu performance.
The PM had attended both celebrations. “Mahalaya will be a big event. The Prime Minister and home minister will be invited. The event, to be attended by guests from across India and abroad, could feature thousands of artistes, including dhakis, folk dancers and other performers.
We will let you know (about their participation) once we get confirmation,” CM Suvendu Adhikari said in Balurghat on Wednesday.