Bengal bans liquor on Maha Ashtami, ends Mamata-era Durga Puja carnival

The announcement came as the Bengal government laid out a series of measures and guidelines for the upcoming Durga Puja celebrations, including a 1 lakh grant for Puja committees, free electricity and a waiver of the fee for mandatory fire safety licences.Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu AdhikariWest Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a complete ban on the sale of alcohol across the state on Maha Ashtami during this year’s Durga Puja, saying all liquor shops and bars will remain closed on the day when devotees pay floral tributes to Goddess Durga.“On the day of Maha Ashtami, when we pay floral tributes to the Goddess in this state, all liquor shops shall be closed, including bars. Liquor cannot be sold on the day of Ashtami,” Adhikari said.The announcement came as the Bengal government laid out a series of measures and guidelines for the upcoming Durga Puja celebrations, including a 1 lakh grant for Puja committees, free electricity and a waiver of the fee for mandatory fire safety licences.Adhikari also urged Puja committees to ensure that their idols, pandals and themes do not distort religious or cultural traditions or hurt religious sentiments. He appealed to organisers to maintain the sanctity of the festival while also ensuring that immersion processions remain orderly. NO LIQUOR ON MAHA ASHTAMIThe alcohol ban will cover liquor shops as well as bars across West Bengal on Maha Ashtami.Adhikari said the restriction was being imposed on a day of particular religious significance, when devotees traditionally offer floral tributes to Goddess Durga. The Chief Minister made it clear that liquor sales would not be permitted on the day, effectively putting the state’s alcohol trade on hold for Maha Ashtami.The announcement comes as Kolkata and other parts of Bengal prepare for one of the biggest festivals in the state, with thousands of community Puja committees gearing up for celebrations, cultural programmes and immersion processions.DO NOTHING THAT COMPROMISES RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTSAlongside the alcohol restriction, Adhikari issued an appeal to Puja committees over the way Durga Puja themes, idols and decorations are designed.He requested organisers not to distort the traditional representation of Goddess Durga or create themes and installations that could hurt religious sentiments or compromise Bengal’s cultural heritage.“Regarding idols, pandals, themes, or decorations—please do nothing that compromises religious or cultural heritage and religious sentiments,” the Chief Minister said.The appeal comes against the backdrop of the growing popularity of theme-based Durga Pujas in Bengal, particularly in Kolkata, where Puja committees often compete to create elaborate pandals and artistic interpretations that attract thousands of visitors.While theme-based Pujas have become a major part of Kolkata’s festive culture, Adhikari urged organisers to ensure that experimentation does not come at the cost of religious traditions and sentiments.NO DJ MUSIC IN IMMERSION PROCESSION, SAYS ADHIKARIAdhikari also announced restrictions concerning idol immersion processions.He said DJ music would not be allowed during immersion processions and urged Puja committees to complete the immersion of idols before Lakshmi Puja.Lakshmi Puja falls on October 25 this year.“I would urge everyone to complete the idol immersion by the day before,” Adhikari said.The appeal is aimed at ensuring that the immersion process is completed before the next major festival, while also avoiding disruption during the festive period.RS1 LAKH GRANT FOR DURGA PUJA COMMITTEESThe Bengal government will also provide a grant of Rs 1 lakh to Durga Puja committees, particularly those that require financial assistance to organise their celebrations.Adhikari said the government would also provide free electricity for the festivities, with CESC confirming that it would supply electricity without charge.A fire safety licence, which is mandatory for Puja organisers, will also come without a fee, he said.However, while announcing the financial assistance, Adhikari urged affluent and large-budget Puja committees not to seek government funds if they could organise the celebrations on their own.He said community Durga Pujas had traditionally been funded through voluntary contributions, commonly known as ‘chanda’, but claimed that many organisers had now become increasingly dependent on government assistance.“People have developed a bad habit; in the past, they used to collect voluntary subscriptions (chanda). That is how community Durga Pujas used to be organised,” Adhikari said.He argued that the cost of organising a decent Puja could run into at least 10 lakh and urged committees with the means to raise additional funds through advertisements rather than depending on government grants.“Elections haven't helped in this regard; many have become overly dependent on the government,” he said.Adhikari made it clear that the Rs 1 lakh assistance was intended primarily for committees that genuinely needed financial support.“The government will provide Rs1 lakh each to those who cannot organise the Puja without additional funds,” he said.He also appealed to large-budget Puja committees to voluntarily stay out of the grant scheme.“I do not wish to issue directives or misuse my authority. I am making a request: I urge those with the means and large budgets not to accept government assistance for the Puja,” Adhikari said.NO CARNIVAL THIS YEAR, SAYS ADHIKARIIn another significant decision, Adhikari announced that the Durga Puja carnival hosted by the Bengal government after the festival would be discontinued.The carnival had become a prominent feature of Kolkata’s post-Puja celebrations in recent years. It was held along the city’s Red Road, where some of the city’s prominent Durga Puja committees participated and showcased their idols before immersion.The event was originally conceptualised during the tenure of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and became one of the major public spectacles associated with Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations.The carnival brought together several leading Puja committees, with their idols displayed along the route before being taken for immersion in the Hooghly River.Its discontinuation marks a departure from a post-Puja tradition that had gained considerable visibility in Kolkata over the years.The government’s latest announcements, meanwhile, put the focus firmly on the conduct of the festival itself — from restrictions on alcohol and DJ music to the design of idols and pandals, financial assistance for Puja committees and arrangements for electricity and fire safety.With Durga Puja being one of Bengal’s biggest cultural and religious festivals, the measures are expected to shape how celebrations are organised across the state this year.- EndsPublished By: Sonali VermaPublished On: Sep 7, 2026 18:52 IST