Soil is a dominant theme in the displays at this year’s Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal, according to a “green puja” award. More broadly, environment-related themes have become increasingly prominent over the past two decades, experts associated with the award say, as Durga Puja pandals increasingly use elaborate concepts to engage the public.
“The Serader Sera Nirmal Puja Puroskar (the greenest of the green puja award) has been continuing for the past 19 years and this year one in every three or four puja celebrations we assessed has an environmental theme. Soil is particularly prominent,” said Dulal Bose, a senior physician, former sheriff of Kolkata and president of non-profit EnGIO that runs the award with support from the West Bengal Pollution Control Board and other organisations and companies.
“Over the years, the initiative has helped make Durga Puja in Kolkata more environment-friendly and has used the festival to promote environmental awareness among organisers and the public,” said Bose. He added that the award has received national and international recognition, including correspondence from The King's Foundation (formerly The Prince's Foundation), a UK-based charity organisation that works on environmental degradation and social and religious challenges.
“The model should be expanded to encourage more environment friendly pujas,” said Manoj Kumar Oraon, West Bengal’s environment and forests at the launch of the 2026 awards.
A shift towards green themes
“The change in the character of the themes has been phenomenal,” said Aniruddha Mukherjee, a professor in the environmental-science department at the University of Calcutta who has been involved with the award since its inception. “In 2007, when the award began, we could persuade only one puja in Salt Lake to adopt a green theme: the FD Block puja, which focused on global warming.”
The award's database now suggests that roughly one in three to five pujas features an environmental theme, ranging from soil conservation and climate change to water conservation, plastic pollution and the Sundarbans, said Mukherjee.
Of more than 200 applications received this year, around 75 pujas featuring environmental themes or practices have been shortlisted for judging, said Sujata Basu, speaking on behalf of EnGIO.
Soil conservation takes root
Growing urban concern about food security and soil contamination, including pollution from pesticides, may help explain the prominence of soil-related themes. At least five shortlisted pujas have incorporated soil into their displays.
“Many themes draw on local traditions and livelihoods,” said Arunava Majumdar, a former director and head of the All India Institute of Public Health and Hygiene who has long been associated with the award. Ahiritola Sarbojanin, an old puja group in north Kolkata, combined the neighbourhood's traditional sweet-making trade with earthen containers used to hold sweets, known locally as bhar.
Yuba Sangha, near Dum Dum, used soil and other natural materials to develop a theme around pond conservation.
At least two pujas in Haridebpur, on the southern fringes of Kolkata, used soil to create displays inspired by boat moorings and the Sundarbans, according to another member of the judging panel.
The environmental scorecard
The judging criteria for the green puja award cover environmental practices, including construction materials, waste management, plastic use, electricity consumption, noise and dismantling, among others.
“One of the award's major achievements has been reducing the use of lead-based paints in idol-making,” said Krishnajtoti Goswami, a public-health expert and professor of biochemistry. “Earlier, highly toxic paints containing lead were widely used. After years of campaigning through the award, lead-free idols now receive dedicated marks in the judging. Nearly 60 per cent of idols use lead-free paints.”
Organisers also report improvements in energy efficiency, with LED lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) increasingly replacing more energy-intensive lighting.
“Much remains to be done, but awareness of responsible plastic-waste management has increased,” said Amit Agarwal, president of the Indian Plastics Federation, which has partnered with the award to promote better practices.
Stronger community and gender links
Judges and other experts associated with the award say community participation and women's involvement in organising pujas have increased substantially.
“I have been involved in the exercise for about a decade and have seen how the trend has changed, with more women taking leading roles in several puja committees,” said Jhumpa Ghosh, an environmental entrepreneur.
“This is my first Durga Puja experience in Kolkata since taking up my post, and I have been impressed by the strong community involvement in many celebrations and the prominent roles women play in organising them,” said Miriam Ströbel, consul-general-designate of Germany in Kolkata, who joined one of the judging panels. “It was also encouraging to see environmental and climate issues being prioritised in so many pujas. These are issues that are close to our own agenda.”