Union home minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit West Bengal during Durga Puja this week, with his itinerary including Belur Math and a few prominent pujas, such as the historic Sovabazar Rajbari in Kolkata, according to sources in the state BJP.
Shah is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata from Ahmedabad around 8.10 pm on October 17, the first of the two days on which Saptami falls this year, and proceed to the Soujanya guest house in Alipore, where he will stay overnight.
On October 18, Shah will begin his engagements with a visit to Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, where he is expected to spend about 30 minutes and take part in the Puja uniquely celebrated there.
From Belur Math, the Union Home Minister is likely to travel to Deshbandhu Club in the same neighbourhood in Bally to visit its Durga Puja pandal before returning to Soujanya.
His itinerary for the day also includes the 24 Palli puja in Chetla and the traditional Durga Puja celebrations at Sovabazar Rajbari, one of north Kolkata's historic aristocratic households known for its long-standing puja traditions.
Shah is expected to spend some time at Sovabazar Rajbari, witness the rituals and attend the aarti before proceeding to the Sreebhumi puja pandal. He is scheduled to leave for Delhi from Kolkata airport later that day, sources said.
The visit comes during the first Durga Puja celebrations in Bengal following the change of government in the state. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari inaugurated the festive season with a grand show at the Eden Gardens on Mahalaya.
Speculations were rife that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might attend the inauguration, but he did not turn up. Subsequently, sources had indicated that Shah could visit the state during the festive period.
Shah's itinerary has now taken shape, with visits to religious and traditional puja venues forming the main components of his Kolkata engagements.
The Union home minister had also visited the state during Durga Puja last year, during which he went to the Santosh Mitra Square puja organised by BJP leader Sajal Ghosh and inaugurated a puja pandal at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake.
Neither Santosh Mitra Square nor the EZCC, however, features in his itinerary this year, sources said.
Durga Puja, Bengal's biggest annual festival, draws large crowds to community pandals across Kolkata and other parts of the state. Visits by prominent political leaders to major pujas are also a regular feature of the festive season.