Santoshpur Lakepally Khuti Puja 2026 Is Officially Done: Inside the Ceremony

There's a small, electric moment every year when a months-long wait quietly turns into "it's actually happening now." For South Kolkata's Durga Puja lovers, that moment arrived this Monday, 29th June 2026, on the sacred occasion of Jagannath Dev's Snan Yatra, when Santoshpur Lakepally Durgotsav (SLP) held its Khuti Puja and formally kicked off preparations for this year's Sharadotsav.

We covered the build-up to this date in our earlier post on Santoshpur Lakepally's Khuti Puja 2026 announcement — where we walked through what Khuti Puja means, why SLP times it with the Jagannath Snan Yatra calendar, and why this 69-year-old puja club's opening ceremony matters so much to South Kolkata's festive circuit. Today, we're back with the real thing: photos from the ceremony itself, the details organisers shared straight after, and the first official word on who's shaping this year's theme.

If you've been waiting for the visual proof that Durga Puja 2026 has truly begun, this is it.

The Khuti Puja Ceremony: What Actually Happened

According to the official update from the Santoshpur Lakepally committee, the khuti puja was completed amid the joy and devotion of the community, marking the auspicious beginning of preparations for this year's Sharadotsav. The wording from the committee itself carries a quiet warmth that's worth sharing directly — paraphrased here from their own announcement — confirming that with this khuti puja, the journey toward the festival's grand celebration has now officially begun.

The ceremony was organised under the banner of Santoshpur Lakepally, based in the Lakepally locality of Santoshpur, South Kolkata — the same lakeside neighbourhood that has hosted this celebrated puja since 1958.

Inside the Ritual: A Closer Look at the Decorated Khuti

For those who've never attended a Khuti Puja up close, the photos from this year's ceremony tell their own story.

The bamboo pole — the literal khuti — was elaborately dressed for the occasion rather than left bare. A striking gold zari-work ornament, shaped almost like a crown or canopy and studded with pearls, beads, and sequins, was mounted near the top of the pole. Just beneath it, the bamboo was marked with vermilion in the shape of a trishul, a traditional symbol of protection and divine energy commonly used to consecrate sacred objects in Bengali ritual practice. Strings of shell beads (sankha mala) and a small "Om" medallion hung just above the ornament, while the lower portion of the pole was wrapped in marigold garlands and gold-threaded cloth, finished with a burst of bright orange flowers at the base.

Most fittingly, given that this year's khuti puja coincided with Snan Yatra, two small woven medallions bearing the painted face of Lord Jagannath were tied onto the pole — a lovely, specific touch that directly ties the ritual to the very occasion it was timed around. It's a small detail, but exactly the kind of thing that shows how seriously SLP's organisers think through even the symbolic layers of their preparations, not just the spectacle.

In the second photograph, the actual moment of the ceremony comes alive. Senior committee members, dressed in formal blue and white, stand alongside young volunteers from SLP's core team — many wearing matching yellow kurtas branded with the "Santoshpur Lakepally" identity — as the garlanded khuti is ceremonially held and blessed. The atmosphere captured is exactly what makes Khuti Puja special: not a grand public spectacle, but an intimate, sincere gathering of the people who will spend the next hundred-odd days building something extraordinary together.

The Big Reveal: Artist Rintu Das Joins SLP for 2026

Here's the detail every serious puja-tracker has been waiting for: this year's creative direction at Santoshpur Lakepally is being helmed by artist Rintu Das.

If that name sounds familiar, it should. Rintu Das is one of contemporary Kolkata's most recognised and consistently talked-about pandal artists, known for thought-provoking, socially conscious themes that go well beyond decoration — his installations have tackled subjects like the plight of migrant workers, gender-based violence, and the trafficking of women and children, earning him national media coverage and a devoted following among Puja enthusiasts who follow pandal art as seriously as gallery exhibitions. He has previously helmed acclaimed pandals including Barisha Club and Kashi Bose Lane in South and Central Kolkata.

His association with Santoshpur Lakepally for 2026 signals that this year's theme is likely to lean into the kind of layered, meaningful storytelling SLP has built its reputation on with past tributes like the Ajanta murals and Chalchitra. We'll be watching closely for theme announcements in the coming months and will update our coverage as soon as official details emerge.

Why This Update Matters for Puja Trackers

If you're someone who genuinely follows Kolkata's Durga Puja calendar — not just from Mahalaya onward, but from the very first bamboo pole — today's update gives you three concrete things to note down:

The ceremony is confirmed complete, meaning Santoshpur Lakepally's 2026 preparations are now formally underway. The ritual was thoughtfully tied to the Jagannath Snan Yatra occasion, reflected even in the decorative elements of the khuti itself. And perhaps most importantly, with a creatively ambitious artist like Rintu Das now attached to the project, SLP's 2026 edition is shaping up to be one of the season's most closely watched South Kolkata pandals.

A Quick Recap: Santoshpur Lakepally Khuti Puja 2026

Final Thoughts

There's something genuinely moving about watching a community ritual like this unfold in real time — a garlanded bamboo pole, a small circle of committee members and volunteers, and the quiet certainty that, once again, South Kolkata's most beloved puja season has begun. Santoshpur Lakepally's Khuti Puja may not come with the crowds of Ashtami or the lights of Panchami, but for those of us who follow this festival from its very first breath, it's every bit as exciting.

We'll be tracking SLP's journey closely through the coming months — theme reveals, pandal construction updates, and everything in between — so keep this page bookmarked.

Catch up on our original coverage of this year's Santoshpur Lakepally Khuti Puja announcement and history for the full background on this 69-year-old tradition, and follow Santoshpur Lakepally's official Facebook page for live updates straight from the committee as preparations continue.

Image Credits: prosenjit.pujorporibar. Used with express permission. All rights reserved by the original copyright holder.