Ahiritola Sarbojanin 2026 Khuti Puja Done! — "প্রারম্ভিক" | Artist Team Revealed, Celebrations Begin in 87th Year

 It's official. The ground has been blessed. The bamboo pole has been planted. And Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity's 87th edition has formally, ceremonially, beautifully — begun.

The Khuti Puja of Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgotsab 2026 was held on Thursday, 16th July 2026, at Ahiritola Dolna Park, 57, B.K. Paul Avenue, Kolkata – 700005 — and we are here to give you every single detail, with photos straight from the ground.

If you've been following our coverage since the beginning, this moment has been a long time coming. We first reported on Ahiritola Sarbojanin's early 2026 theme hint — the emotional "Janala" (Window) post that stopped the puja world in its tracks. Then came their powerful declaration: "চাকচিক্য সাময়িক, সাবেকিয়ানার টান চিরন্তন" — Glamour is temporary, the pull of tradition is eternal.

And now, with the Khuti Puja done, the real journey begins.

📌 Missed our earlier coverage? Read the full story from the beginning here → Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgotsab 2026 — First Update & Theme Disclosed

What is Khuti Puja — And Why Does It Matter?

For the uninitiated — Khuti Puja (also called Bith Khuti Pujo) is one of the most sacred rituals in the entire Durga Puja calendar.

The word Khuti refers to the ceremonial bamboo pole that is planted into the earth at the pandal site. Before a single nail is hammered or a single bamboo frame is erected, the committee performs this puja — offering prayers to Ma Durga and the earth, seeking divine permission and blessings to begin construction.

Think of it as the muhurat ceremony of Durga Puja preparation. Nothing physical has truly started until the Khuti has been planted.

For a puja that has been running for 87 continuous years, this ritual carries the weight of generations. The same prayers, the same sacred act — repeated year after year, decade after decade, through independence, through partition, through pandemic and everything in between.

This year, watching the committee members perform the Khuti Puja against the backdrop of their iconic red-and-white "87তম বর্ষে আহিরীটোলা সার্বজনীন দুর্গোৎসব সমিতি" branding — it felt like something truly special was beginning.

Glimpses from the Ceremony — What We Saw

The Khuti Puja took place in the evening of 16th July 2026, and the energy at Ahiritola Dolna Park was electric — in the most warm, community-hearted way possible.

Here's what the photos from the ceremony tell us:

The Venue is Set: The open ground at 57, B.K. Paul Avenue was already dressed up for the occasion — yellow and white canopies lining the sides, warm string lights creating a festive glow. The space felt alive even before the prayers began.

The Clay Pratima Has Arrived: One of the most remarkable things visible from the ceremony photos is the unpainted clay Durga pratima already in place at the venue. The ekchala framework is clearly visible — Maa Durga in the centre, flanked by her four children in the classic traditional arrangement. The lion at her feet. Mahishasura beneath. A flower rangoli and a traditional diya placed in front.

This is the clay form — mrinmayi — before the colour, before the decoration, before the daaker saaj and sholar gohona are applied. Seeing her in this raw, elemental form at the Khuti Puja is deeply moving. This is Ma in her most primal avatar. And she is already magnificent.

The "প্রারম্ভিক" Board — The Official Team Reveal: Perhaps the most newsworthy moment of the evening was the unveiling of the "প্রারম্ভিক" (Prarambhik — The Beginning) display board, which officially announced the creative team behind Ahiritola Sarbojanin 2026:

The Creative Team of Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgotsab 2026 — OFFICIALLY REVEALED

This is the team that will bring the Sabeki vision to life this year:

সৃজন (Concept & Creation) — Manas Das

Manas Das is the creative brain behind the 2026 concept. It is his vision that will translate the "Sabeki" philosophy — the pull of tradition, the window of memory — into the actual look, feel, and soul of the pandal and the overall presentation. The choice of a concept creator for a Sabeki puja speaks volumes: this is not about abandoning creativity. It is about channelling it in service of tradition, not in opposition to it.

 প্রতিমা শিল্পী (Idol Artist) — Subrata Mudha

The idol — the very heart of any Durga Puja — will be crafted by Subrata Mudha. A pratima artist working on a Sabeki brief has a unique responsibility: to craft the classic form with such devotion and skill that it moves people simply by existing. No theatrical concepts, no abstract interpretations — just Ma, in her eternal, familiar form. The unpainted clay idol already at the venue gives us our first glimpse of Subrata Mudha's work — and it is already promising.

 আলোক নির্দেশনায় (Lighting Direction) — Soumen Chakraborty

Lighting can make or break a pandal. Soumen Chakraborty will be responsible for the lighting design of Ahiritola 2026 — and this is a particularly interesting appointment for a Sabeki puja. In a traditional setup, lighting should elevate the divinity of the space without overshadowing it. It should feel warm, devotional, and sacred — not like a concert or a commercial installation. Given the committee's stated philosophy this year, we expect Soumen Chakraborty's lighting to be in complete harmony with the Sabeki spirit.

Together, this trio — Manas Das, Subrata Mudha, and Soumen Chakraborty — will create Ahiritola Sarbojanin's 87th edition.

And based on everything we've seen so far, we have enormous confidence in what they're building.

The Community at the Heart of It All

Look at the group photo from the Khuti Puja ceremony and you'll notice something beautiful.

It's not just committee members and dignitaries. It's young people and older people together. Women in sarees and girls in salwar kameez standing side by side. Boys who probably grew up in this neighbourhood, now old enough to be part of the committee themselves. The whole beautiful cross-section of what a para (neighbourhood) actually looks like.

That's Ahiritola Sarbojanin in one photograph. 87 years of continuity, carried by every generation that has come through this neighbourhood.

This is not a corporate puja run by sponsors and PR agencies. This is a community — one that plants their Khuti every year with their own hands, says their prayers together, and then spends the next three months building something that will make their neighbours weep with joy.

About the Venue — Ahiritola Dolna Park

The Khuti Puja was held at — and the puja itself will take place at:

Ahiritola Dolna Park 57, B.K. Paul Avenue, Kolkata – 700005

This is the committee's home ground — a beloved open space in the heart of the Ahiritola neighbourhood in North Kolkata. The park is walking distance from:

• Ahiritola Ghat on the Hooghly River — one of Kolkata's most historic ghats, associated with Rani Rashmoni and the very founding of the city
• Kumartuli — the legendary neighbourhood of idol-makers, just minutes away
• Sovabazar Rajbari — another iconic North Kolkata landmark
• Shyambazar 5-Point Crossing — a major transport hub

For puja hoppers building their October route, this location puts Ahiritola within easy walking distance of several other major North Kolkata pujas — making it a perfect anchor point for any north Kolkata parikrama.

How to Reach:

• Metro: Sovabazar-Sutanuti or Shyambazar station
• Bus: Alight at Shyambazar, walk toward BK Paul Avenue
• App Cabs: Search "Ahiritola Dolna Park" on Google Maps

What Happens Next — The Road to October 2026

With the Khuti Puja done, the 87th edition of Ahiritola Sarbojanin is now officially underway. Here's what the next few months will look like:

July–August 2026 — Foundation & Framework Pandal construction will begin in earnest. The bamboo framework, the structure, the basic layout — all of this gets built in these months. The clay pratima will continue to be worked upon by Subrata Mudha in parallel.

August–September 2026 — The Creative Layer This is when things get really exciting. The concept of Manas Das starts to become visible — decoration, colour, material, the Sabeki elements all coming together. Daaker saaj, sholar kaj, chaalchitra — all being crafted and assembled.

Late September 2026 — Final Touches Lighting installation by Soumen Chakraborty. The final layer of paint on the pratima. The decorations placed. The pandal taking its final form.

October 2026 — Puja Days Mahalaya marks the countdown. Then Mahasaptami, Mahashtami, Mahanavami, Dashami — five days of devotion, dhak, anjali, and the most beautiful Sabeki Durga that North Kolkata will see this year.

We will be here for every single step. Bookmark this page and follow us.

Full Update Tracker — Ahiritola Sarbojanin 2026

Our Thoughts After the Khuti Puja

Watching the photos from yesterday's ceremony, we couldn't help but feel a quiet kind of excitement. Not the loud, viral kind — but the deep, slow-burning kind that builds through months and months of preparation and finally erupts on Saptami morning.

The unpainted clay Ma standing in the open ground. The committee members praying with joined hands. The young faces full of energy and pride. The "প্রারম্ভিক" board announcing the team. The whole neighbourhood coming alive again.

This is what Durga Puja actually is — before the Instagram reels, before the awards, before the pandal hopping crowds. This quiet beginning. This act of faith.

Ahiritola Sarbojanin has been doing this for 87 years. And they will keep doing it.

We at Durga Puja of Kolkata are honoured to document this journey for you. Stay with us.

📌 Follow all our Durga Puja 2026 coverage — from North Kolkata to South, from theme reveals to Khuti Pujas to final pandal photos → durgapujaofkolkata.com

📌 Read Part 1 of our Ahiritola 2026 coverage — the Janala theme reveal and Sabeki announcement → Ahiritola Sarbojanin 2026 First Update

📌 Follow Ahiritola Sarbojanin officially on Facebook → Ahiritola Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity

Quick Reference Card — Ahiritola Sarbojanin 2026

Keep watching this space — the next update from Ahiritola Sarbojanin will be even more exciting as construction begins and the pandal starts to take shape. Share this post with every puja lover in your circle!

— Covered with love for Kolkata and Maa Durga | Durga Puja of Kolkata