Ekdalia Evergreen Durga Puja 2026: 84th Year Khuti Puja Completed Today — Somnath Temple Replica Announced!

Kolkata Tales

15 Jun, 2026

It happened on the morning of 14th June. On a quiet Sunday on Ekdalia Road, Ballygunge, just as the first light crossed the rooftops near Gariahat crossing and the tea stalls were pulling up their shutters — the Khuti went into the ground. The 84th Ekdalia Evergreen Club Durga Puja has officially been set in motion.

And this year, they have announced something that is going to make every South Kolkata pandal-hopper stop mid-scroll.

The pandal structure for 2026 will be a grand replica of the Shree Somnath Temple of Gujarat — one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, one of the most majestic temple structures in all of India, and a shrine that has been destroyed and rebuilt seventeen times across history, each time rising more gloriously than before.

If that doesn't give you goosebumps, check your pulse.

A Sunday Morning Start on Ekdalia Road

This morning's Khuti Puja carried that familiar electricity that only Ekdalia can generate in mid-June. The dhak sounded out over Ballygunge before most of the neighbourhood had finished their morning tea. The sankha rang sharp and clear, and for those few minutes, Ekdalia Road became, once again, the centre of South Kolkata's puja universe.

Priests completed the rituals with full traditional ceremony. Long-time club members — many of whom have stood at this same spot for three, four, even five decades — watched the Khuti go into the earth. It was solemn, it was joyful, and it was unmistakably Ekdalia.

The countdown to October just got very, very real.

84 Years of Sabeki Soul — Now With a Somnath Stage

Here is what you need to understand about Ekdalia Evergreen before anything else. They do not chase trends. While some of Kolkata's biggest pujas are locked in an annual competition to out-theme each other — space stations, rainforests, European cathedrals — Ekdalia has spent 84 years perfecting one thing.

The traditional Ekchala Sabeki idol. One grand single frame. Ma Durga and her entire family sculpted together in the classical format, finished in warm golden hues, crafted in the Kumartuli tradition that stretches back centuries. When you stand before an Ekdalia idol, you are not looking at a concept. You are looking at Durga Puja in its purest, oldest, most emotionally devastating form.

That does not change in 2026. The Sabeki idol remains the beating heart of this puja, exactly as it always has been.

What changes this year is the structure that surrounds it. And what a structure it is going to be.

Why the Somnath Temple Replica Is Such a Big Deal

The Shree Somnath Temple stands at the edge of the Arabian Sea in Saurashtra, Gujarat. It is ancient beyond easy calculation, reconstructed through invasions and centuries, and today it rises as one of the most architecturally stunning temple complexes in India. Its shikhara — the towering spire — its ornate stone carvings, its seafront majesty — these are things you remember for the rest of your life.

Now imagine that structure rebuilt on Ekdalia Road, in South Kolkata, glowing under Ekdalia's legendary chandelier illumination, with a traditional Sabeki Durga at its centre.

This is not a theme puja. Ekdalia does not do themes. What they do — what they have always done — is build a magnificent replica temple as the pandal, and place their timeless idol inside it. This year, they have simply chosen a temple that happens to be one of the most iconic in the subcontinent. The scale of what they are planning is going to be extraordinary.

The combination of the Somnath silhouette and Ekdalia's trademark chandelier glow is something that, frankly, no rendering can prepare you for. You will have to go.

The Chandeliers That Stop Traffic — Now Under a Jyotirlinga's Shadow

Every year, Ekdalia's illumination does something remarkable. The grand glass chandeliers inspired by the old zamindar Thakur Dalan aesthetic pour warm light over the entire pandal and turn Ekdalia Road into something out of another era entirely.

This year, that lighting will fall across the carved stone-effect spires and intricate facade of a Somnath-inspired structure. The interplay of warm chandelier gold against the temple architecture is going to be one of the defining visual moments of Durga Puja 2026 in Kolkata. Plan to spend time just standing there looking at it. Don't rush it.

Why Ekdalia Road Is Non-Negotiable on Your 2026 Pandal Hop

Ask anyone from the Ballygunge–Gariahat belt. They will tell you the same thing. Your Puja doesn't feel complete until you've walked Ekdalia Road. The route from Singhi Park down toward the club, that slow build of crowd noise and light as you get closer — it's a feeling that gets into you during childhood and never leaves.

In 2026, that walk ends at a replica of one of India's most sacred shrines, with a luminous traditional Sabeki Durga waiting inside. First-timers and lifelong visitors alike are going to be stopped in their tracks.

The queue on Ekdalia Road during Puja nights is already legendary under normal circumstances. This year, expect it to be something else entirely.

Plan Your Visit — Key Details for 2026

The Idol: Traditional Ekchala Sabeki format. Golden. Classical. Unmistakable.

The Pandal: A grand replica of the Shree Somnath Temple, Saurashtra, Gujarat.

The Illumination: Ekdalia's iconic chandelier setup, now framing a Jyotirlinga-inspired structure.

Best Time to Visit: Early evening for the full illuminated impact, or after midnight if you want the crowd slightly thinner. Wear comfortable shoes — the Gariahat area has enough street food to keep you going through a long night.

Getting There: Ekdalia Road, Ballygunge, South Kolkata. Closest metro stations are Kalighat and Rabindra Sarobar, both within comfortable walking distance.

Find Ekdalia Evergreen Club on Google Maps

The Khuti Is In. The Wait Begins.

84 years of tradition took its first step into 2026. The priests have performed their rituals. The club has set its intention. And somewhere between now and Mahalaya, a replica of the Somnath Temple is going to rise in the heart of Ballygunge.

We will be tracking every update — pandal construction progress, idol making from Kumartuli, and everything leading up to Panchami. Stay with us.