Rajdanga Amra Kajan Kalyan Samity Kicks Off Their 47th Durga Puja with a Grand Khuti Puja & Banner Reveal — South Kolkata Is Already Excited!

Do you know that feeling when you're just going about your regular June or July life — sweating through a Kolkata summer, complaining about the heat — and then suddenly you see a puja committee's banner pop up on social media?

That knot in your chest. That little flutter. That involuntary smile that you try to suppress because, well, it's months away.

Yeah. That feeling just happened to us.

Rajdanga Amra Kajan Kalyan Samity — one of the most beloved community Durga Puja committees in South Kolkata — has officially kicked off their 47th Sharadotsav with a grand Khuti Puja and Banner Reveal scheduled for Sunday, June 28, 2026, at 11:30 AM.

And honestly? We're not okay. In the best possible way.

First Things First — What Even Is Khuti Puja?

If you're new to the whole Durga Puja ecosystem (welcome, by the way — you picked the right time to learn), Khuti Puja might sound like a minor ritual. It is anything but.

Khuti Puja is a customary ritual before putting up pandals, to initiate the Durga Puja festivities. It means the worshipping of bamboo pillars that will eventually erect the pandal of Durga Puja in the coming months.

Think of it as the puja committee's way of saying: "We're serious. We're starting. Maa, we're coming for you."

This ceremony includes the formal erection of a beautifully adorned bamboo pole at the location designated for the construction of the Durga Puja pandal. The priests chant mantras, flowers and sweets are offered, the dhak (traditional drum) beats for the very first time that season — and just like that, the countdown to the biggest festival on Earth is officially, spiritually, and communally on.

Khuti Puja is a customary ritual to celebrate the day when the idol artisan starts off the sculpting process. It formally initiates the festivities as well as the preparation for the 5-day carnival.

For anyone who has grown up in a para (neighbourhood) where a big puja is celebrated, Khuti Puja is your personal New Year's Eve. Only better. Because at least this one comes with the smell of incense, the sound of ululation, and the quiet but certain knowledge that in a few months, everything is going to be absolutely electric.

47 Years of Devotion — The Story of Amra Kajan

The name "Amra Kajan" translates loosely to "We, a few of us." There's something beautifully humble about that name, isn't there? A group of people — neighbours, friends, perhaps strangers who became family — came together decades ago in the bylanes of Rajdanga, Nabapalli, Kasba in South Kolkata, and said: We'll do this. Together.

That was 47 years ago.

And here they are, still doing it.

This is the 47th edition of their Sharadotsav — and if that number doesn't hit you in the feelings, just think about it for a moment. Forty-seven consecutive years of decorating a pandal, commissioning an idol, raising funds, bringing the neighbourhood together, and welcoming Maa Durga home. Forty-seven years of Maha Saptami mornings, Ashtami anjali queues spilling out into the street, Navami nights loud with dhak and laughter, and Dashami evenings heavy with the bittersweet ache of farewell.

That's not just a puja. That's a legacy.

The committee operates out of Rajdanga | Nabapalli | Kasba | South Kolkata — a neighbourhood that has its own rich cultural personality. Kasba is an upscale locality of South Kolkata, and has also become renowned for some of the biggest and well-known Durga Pujas organised nowadays — and Amra Kajan Kalyan Samity is very much a part of that proud tradition.

The Official Leadership Behind This Year's Celebration

Every great puja has great people behind it. For the 47th edition of Amra Kajan Kalyan Samity's Sharadotsav, the following names are at the helm:

• Chairman: Sandip Banerjee
• Chief Advisor: Sudip Sarkar
• President: Nirmal Mukherjee

These are the people who will spend the next few months losing sleep, negotiating with artists, managing logistics, collecting subscriptions, handling last-minute crises — all so that the people of Rajdanga and the thousands of pandal-hoppers who visit can have five unforgettable days with Maa Durga.

We see you, and we salute you.

The Artist Who Will Bring Maa Durga to Life: Shri Purnendu De

One name that stood out when the official banner dropped: Shri Purnendu De, listed as the Shilpi (artist).

In the world of Durga Puja, the artist is everything. They are the one who takes clay, straw, and paint — and creates a goddess. They are the one who breathes life into an idol that will be worshipped by thousands, photographed by millions, and remembered for years.

The announcement of an artist is always one of the most exciting parts of a Khuti Puja reveal. It signals the visual direction of the year's puja. It hints at the aesthetic language of the idol and potentially the theme. Fans of Durga Puja art — and there are many — often follow specific artists across different committees year after year, the way one might follow a favourite filmmaker or painter.

Shri Purnendu De's involvement is already generating quiet excitement in the community.

The Banner: A Work of Art in Itself

Look at the official banner that dropped ahead of the Khuti Puja.

The bold, graphic illustration shows a beautifully ornate pandal structure — vibrant in red, yellow, blue, and white, with intricate decorative borders, a lotus motif, and a swirling flame at its centre. It's dynamic. It's eye-catching. It has that unmistakably Bengali flair that makes your heart beat a little faster.

The title "প্রারম্ভিক" (Prarambhik — meaning "The Beginning") is rendered in a rich blue Bengali typeface against a clean white background. The choice of the word itself is poetic. It's not just a Khuti Puja invitation. It's a declaration. This is the beginning. The beginning of the 47th year. The beginning of months of anticipation. The beginning of the most wonderful time of the year.

Why Khuti Puja in June Matters More Than You Think

Here's something many casual puja-goers don't realize: by the time you're doing pandal hopping in October, hundreds of man-hours have already gone into what you're seeing.

The idol artisans have been working since June. The pandal structure team has been designing since July. The committee members have been meeting every week, ironing out budgets and themes and logistics and sponsorships. The lighting designer has been doing recces. The decorator has been sourcing materials.

Khuti Puja, happening this June 28th, is the moment all of that formally begins. Symbolically, it sets the spiritual foundation for the festive season ahead by offering prayers to a bamboo pole, invoking blessings for a smooth and successful celebration.

It's a moment of collective prayer. A moment where the organizers essentially say to Ma Durga: "We're putting everything into this. Please bless our efforts."

And it's also a moment for the neighbourhood — for everyone who grew up in the paras of Rajdanga and Kasba and Nabapalli — to feel that familiar, annual thrill. The feeling that Kolkata is slowly but surely shifting gears towards its greatest season.

The Rajdanga Belt: A Puja Lover's Dream Neighbourhood

If you haven't done a thorough South Kolkata puja circuit, you're honestly missing out. The Rajdanga-Kasba belt is one of the densest and most vibrant clusters of Durga Puja in the entire city.

Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha, established in 1972, is one of South Kolkata's oldest and most popular puja pandals, and it's just one of many celebrated pujas in this neighbourhood. Add Amra Kajan Kalyan Samity to your pandal-hopping list and you have a neighbourhood that delivers on every front: artistic vision, community energy, tradition, and sheer festive spectacle.

For the pandal hopper, the Kasba-Rajdanga area is a goldmine. For the devotee, it's a place where the divine feels genuinely close.

What You Can Expect from the 47th Edition

We obviously don't have all the details yet — that's the beauty of the Khuti Puja moment. It's a beginning, not an unveiling. The theme, the pandal design, the full artistic vision — all of that will unfold in the coming weeks and months.

But based on 47 years of history, here's what you can count on from Rajdanga Amra Kajan Kalyan Samity:

Community first. This is a neighbourhood committee through and through. The warmth you feel when you visit their puja is the kind that only comes from a group of people who genuinely love what they do and love the people they do it for.

Artistic integrity. With Shri Purnendu De as the artist, the idol is going to be something worth seeing. Watch this space for more details as they emerge.

A 47-year track record. You don't run a puja for 47 consecutive years without knowing what you're doing. Amra Kajan Kalyan Samity has seen it all — the good years, the challenging years, the pandemic years — and they've always come back, always delivered, always brought Maa home.

Durga Puja: More Than a Festival, It's Who We Are

Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Sharadotsava, is a major Hindu festival honouring the goddess Durga and commemorating her victory over Mahishasura. It is the biggest festival among Bengali Hindus.

Although Durga Puja has religious origins and maintains this profound aspect of its identity, it has evolved into a celebration of art and culture, transforming the city into a public art exhibition.

And in 2021, the world officially caught on to what Bengalis have always known. Durga Puja in Kolkata has been inscribed on the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists in December 2021.

Every puja committee — big or small, award-winning or neighbourhood staple — contributes to this living, breathing tradition. When Rajdanga Amra Kajan Kalyan Samity does their Khuti Puja this Sunday, they're not just starting a local event. They're participating in something that is now recognized as belonging to all of humanity.

That bamboo pole going into the ground on June 28th at 11:30 AM is a thread in one of the most extraordinary cultural tapestries on the planet.

Mark Your Calendar: June 28, 2026 | 11:30 AM

Here are all the key details for the Khuti Puja and Banner Reveal:

Follow them on their official Facebook page for live updates from the Khuti Puja, behind-the-scenes content, and all the exciting announcements leading up to Durga Puja 2026.

From Us at Durga Puja of Kolkata

There are over 3,000 pujas in Kolkata. Every single one of them has a story. Every single one of them has a group of people who pour their hearts into it, year after year, for love — not for fame, not for money, but because this is what their families have always done, and this is what their neighbourhood deserves.

Rajdanga Amra Kajan Kalyan Samity is one of those committees. And as they begin their 47th chapter on June 28th, we're watching with our full hearts and our phone cameras ready.

Because this is how it always starts. A bamboo pole. A prayer. A community. And the quiet, certain, wonderful knowledge that Maa is on her way home.

We'll keep covering every development from this puja right here on Durga Puja of Kolkata. Bookmark us. Follow along. Because the season has officially begun — and we wouldn't have it any other way.