Ma Durga might be the city's most celebrated annual visitor, but Kali is the resident Goddess, notes Sandip Roy.
From a milk abhishek and aarti in Patna and Vadnagar to blood donation camps in Delhi, sand art tributes in Puri and Agartala, and havan pujas in Jammu, BJP leaders and others nationwide honoured the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday with prayers, service drives and tributes.
West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh asserted that eating non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja is not controversial, countering Bageshwar Dham head priest Dhirendra Shastri's call for vegetarianism. Ghosh highlighted Bengal's traditions, including goat sacrifice as prasad, and criticised attempts to dictate food choices or government involvement in community pujas. He also touched upon a controversy regarding an 11-handed Durga idol.
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya's comments recalling the role of non-Bengali communities during the 1946 communal riots and alleging past restrictions on Durga Puja have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, including the TMC, Congress, and CPI(M). Bhattacharya appealed for unity for peaceful Durga Puja celebrations, while opposition leaders accused him of divisive politics and distorting history.
An artist in Kolkata gives the final touches to an idol of Goddess Kali ahead of the Kali Puja festival, October 25, 2021.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accused the TMC of conspiring to include infiltrators in electoral rolls, claiming the party objects to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) while those rightfully removed from the rolls did not protest.
India has actively engaged in cultural diplomacy over the past 12 years, providing grant assistance and expertise for the restoration and conservation of significant heritage sites, including temples and archaeological complexes, across multiple Asian countries, reinforcing shared civilisational ties.
We journey to 10 famous Maa temples, each devoted to a different form of Devi or the female force...
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has accused the BJP of instigating violence during Ram Navami rallies in West Bengal, alleging the party is disrupting the state's tradition of communal harmony.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has accused the BJP of instigating violence during Ram Navami rallies in West Bengal, alleging the party is disrupting the state's tradition of communal harmony. He also criticised the BJP's governance record and promises in other states.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee accuses the BJP of instigating violence during Ram Navami rallies in West Bengal, alleging the party uses the festival to create unrest and division.
Rani Mukerji attends the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti's Kali Puja with her family and friends.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw asserted that the BJP will form the government in West Bengal after the upcoming assembly elections, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule. He criticised the TMC for vote-bank politics, hindering development, and failing to protect women, while promising unprecedented development under a BJP government.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin announced the party's plan to replicate Assam's 'detect, delete and deport' model to expel alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators in West Bengal if voted to power.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) of releasing water recklessly and without prior intimation, creating a flood-like situation in south Bengal districts during Durga Puja.
The meeting took place at Bamni Kali Temple at Suri in Birbhum district on Saturday which Adhikari visited ahead of Kali Puja celebrations.
Over the past week in Bangladesh, two Hindu men were killed in separate incidents while four people, including a priest, sustained injuries after a crude bomb went off inside a temple in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday offered prayers at the centuries-old Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Ishwaripur village in southwestern Bangladesh and announced that India will build a multipurpose community hall for the worshippers.
Glimpses of Prime Minister Narendra Modi participating in the Durga Puja celebrations at Chittaranjan Park in New Delhi on the occasion of Maha Ashtami on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
Buildings were decorated with colourful lights and earthen lamps dotted houses as people across the country thronged temples and celebrated Diwali with pomp on Monday.
Banerjee said she will protect the minority people and their property.
A joint team of the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police arrested 28-year-old Mohsin Talukdar from southeastern Sunamganj district after 24 hours of a massive manhunt.
Delhi residents woke up on Tuesday to heavy grey haze darkening the city skies, reduced visibility and the air quality in the 'red zone' after many celebrated Diwali last night by bursting firecrackers beyond the two-hour limit set by the Supreme Court.
The system, which moved towards Bangladesh from north Bay of Bengal at a speed of 56 kmph caused moderate to heavy rain and squally weather in West Bengal's coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur, dampening festive spirits on Deepavali and Kali Puja.
The southern districts of West Bengal, including Kolkata, woke up to light rain and an overcast sky on Monday as cyclone 'Sitrang' moved towards north Bay of Bengal, raising the likelihood of a downpour during the day and threatening to dampen Diwali festivities.
Modi said Ramakrishna Paramhansa was one saint who had a clear vision of her and his disciple Swami Vivekananda had also felt the spiritual vision about the goddess, which infused into him extraordinary energy and strength.
This festive season, Indian homes are mixing global luxury with personal touches using heirloom fabrics, handmade decor, and nostalgic menus to create celebrations that feel both grand and intimate.
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor made a cute couple at the Kali Puja at the North Bombay Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti.
The fifth and final one-dayer between India and England, which was scheduled to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on October 26, has been advanced by a day due to Kali Puja celebrations in the city. The match will now be played on October 25.
Mahalaya, though essentially about the goddess, wasn't religious for us. And it isn't for most Bengalis. Mahalaya is an emotion. It's gooseflesh for a memory. A welling up of happy tears. A celebration of what is to come.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Tuesday stirred a controversy by saying that she has every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess, as every person has the right to worship god and goddess in his or her own way.
Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal resumed their indefinite 'total cease work' on Tuesday to press for various demands, including ensuring their safety and security at all medical establishments.
The MEA has taken strong exception to the two reported incidents in Bangladesh.
Indian Army soldiers posted along the Line of Control in Akhnoor light candles on Dhanteras.
CAB requested ICC recce team about concerns raised by local security agencies with regards to World Cup match between Pakistan and England on November 12 coinciding with Kali Puja.
Firecracker bursting till late Sunday night led to a spike in pollution levels amid low temperatures.
The driver of the police officer's car and his personal security officer were unhurt in the incident. Home Secretary Tarunkanti Mishra said in Bhubaneswar that this was the first time that an IPS officer had been killed in the state.
For Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, it was a low key Diwali in view of the serial blasts and the devastation caused by the earthquake in Jammu and Kashmir.
The idol was dressed in a grey suit, which Dr Kalam wore during his recent trip to Guwahati.
