Düsseldorf recreates a slice of Calcutta; rituals, bhog and art bring Durga Puja traditions to Germany

Rituals, bhog and the fine arts came together at a Durga Puja in Düsseldorf, Germany, as the Indian diaspora recreated a slice of Calcutta thousands of kilometres from home.

Düsseldorf, the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany, is known for its fashion industry and art galleries.

Now in its 15th year, the Düsseldorf Durga Puja is organised by Indische Gemeinde Düsseldorf (IGD), or the Indian community in Düsseldorf.

The organisation serves as a cultural hub for the Indian diaspora in the city and brings together around 50 families, many of them Bengali, alongside families from other Indian linguistic communities.

From October 17 to 21, a hall in Düsseldorf’s Flingern quarter took on the look of mini-Calcutta, with an idol brought in from the city.

The celebrations featured traditional rituals, including bodhan, kola bou snan, sandhi puja, aarti, dhunuchi naach and sindoor khela.

Cultural programmes were integral to the festivities. Sashthi featured a Tagore dance drama, an enactment of Sukumar Ray’s Abak Jalpan and adhunik Bengali songs.

On Saptami, Indian fusion music and a performance by an IGD band took centre stage. Bengali folk songs and a dhunuchi dance flash mob marked Ashtami, while Indian classical dance and a karaoke night were part of the Nabami programme. Most performers were members of the IGD community.

“Durga Puja is far more than just a religious or cultural festival. For us, it symbolises homecoming. These days are filled with celebration, and for Bengali NRIs like us, it’s a chance to recreate a little Calcutta, no matter how far we are from our homeland,” said Sujyoti Roy Ghoshal, secretary of the organising committee.