From the archive record
Due to heavy rainfall in Kolkata this year during Durga puja, many pandals were wet with water. In Kolkata alone more than two thousand pandals are set up, all clamouring for the admiration and praise of the populace.The city is adorned with lights. People from all over the country visit the city at this time, and every night is one mad carnival where thousands of people go 'pandal-hopping' with their friends and family. Traffic comes to a standstill, and indeed, most people abandon their vehicles to travel by foot after a point. A special task force is deployed to control law and order. Durga Puja in Kolkata is often referred to as the Rio Carnival of the Eastern Hemisphere. Pandals and idols inspired by a particular theme have been the hallmark of many community or Sarbajanin Pujas in K