WB Govt. Appoints IIT Kharagpur to prepare Safety SoP for Durga Puja
West Bengal government has appointed IIT Kharagpur to prepare safety SOP for Durga Puja. The draft guidelines will be piloted in Durga Puja Art 2025, which is scheduled between September 18 to 22, 2025.
WB Govt. Appoints IIT Kharagpur to prepare Safety SoP for Durga Puja : With UNESCO’s recognition serving as a catalyst, Durga Puja—the grandest public art celebration in the world—is preparing to take a transformative step towards inclusivity and safety. Determined to make the festival not only magnificent but also accessible to all, the West Bengal government has appointed IIT Kharagpur to design detailed accessibility frameworks along with a Safety Standard Operating Procedure tailored specifically for the Puja festivities.
The institute has already begun work on the draft, which is expected to be ready within the next week. Once completed, these recommendations will be introduced on a pilot basis during the Durga Puja Art 2025 preview show, to be held from September 18 to 22. The preview, an annual event curated by MassArt since 2022, will now double up as a platform to test whether the new guidelines can be practically implemented in large-scale festival environments.
The larger vision behind the project is to make sure that every visitor—whether an elderly devotee, a child, a woman navigating crowded spaces, or someone with physical disabilities—can participate in the celebration without encountering obstacles. Accessibility here extends beyond mere infrastructure, covering navigation ease, safety protocols, and thoughtful design.
At the official announcement of the preview show on Monday, Professor Haimanti Banerji of IIT Kharagpur’s Department of Architecture and Planning underlined that Durga Puja has always been about community and togetherness, and this initiative is meant to carry that spirit forward by making the festival truly welcoming for everyone. The move also highlights how cultural events are evolving to balance tradition with modern-day concerns of safety and inclusivity. By addressing these aspects now, Durga Puja aims to set an example for other large-scale festivals across India and beyond.
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