Durga Puja is here. Social media is abuzz with reels and photos of the grandiose theme pujas of Kolkata. Sourya Roy, an IT professional is confused with all this information coming his way. The solution? He asks ChatGpt to make him a four-day pandal hopping itinerary covering exhibits from all parts of the city. In seconds the AI (artificial intelligence) platform generates a detailed yet thoughtfully paced itinerary of pandals from North, South, East, and West Kolkata with tips on the fastest routes to take and recommendations for restaurants and food stalls that will fall on the way to the pandals. 

This year’s Durga Puja celebrations see an evolving digital consciousness where tradition converses with technology. Over the years, Durga Puja has transcended from a quaint celebration of an ancient tradition to an avant-garde celebration of art, culture, history and now technology. OpenAI, 360-degree VR (Virtual Reality) tours, high-tech 11D lighting, dynamic interactive light and sound shows, and mobile apps assisting pandal hopping have collectively transformed Durga Puja into an immersive experience. Additionally, Kolkata Police’s latest AI-enabled display boards, introduced in 2023 to show real-time waiting times outside major pandals, further enhance the festival’s technological sophistication. 

Making of the Durga idol | Photo Credit: Swapan Kumal Pal

ThePujaApp is a non-profit organisation in Kolkata. They provide free-of-cost VR tours of puja pandals past and present on their portal which can be viewed through iOS and Android devices as well as the Oculus (a VR headset device). With a rich archive of 300+ past pujas, the organisation has been operational in the city for the last 13 years. 

Soumyajit Chakraborty, project manager at EY in Ireland, has lived abroad for over 15 years. The professional says, “Ever since I moved out of the country I have been using ThePujaApp. Through their easily downloadable VR tours, I have shown my friends in Ireland the magic of Durga Puja. Their tours are in 15k (15000 pixels wide) quality, making the experience very tangible. I usually access it from my iPhone and cast it on my flat-screen or pair it with my Oculus to immerse into the puja fervour.”

Drone shot of Kalyani ITI Durga puja | Photo Credit: Sammya Brata Mullick

Founders of ThePujaApp recently invited the writer to experience Durga Puja through an Oculus. It felt like being dropped into an art installation. Through the VR glasses, the 15k high-resolution panoramas enveloped the senses, capturing every delicate brushstroke and intricate pattern inside the pandals. The towering presence of Ma Durga felt more than real. Drone shots swooped down from above, revealing the ornate pandal structures rising like celestial shrines amidst the Kolkata skyline. The sound of devotional hymns, frantic beats of the dhaak (drums) and the bustling city blended into the experience. The complete absence of crowds was the best part. As we witnessed the pandal an X-Ray screen showed the names of artists associated with its making. 

Partho Ghosh, general secretary of Shibmandir Durga Puja and a member of the Durga Puja Forum says, “Before Durga Puja, VR proficient non-profit organisations like ThePujaApp approach us to capture the essence of the pandal digitally. The high-resolution images help artists recognise nuanced mistakes in craftsmanship. This is of great help because it ensures that the final touches given to the idol and the pandal are perfect.”

Soumyaditya Mukherjee, journalist and one of the founders of ThePujaApp says, “We believe that Durga Puja is no less an immersive experience. Through our VR solution, we want to take Durga Puja to people across the globe.”

Arpan Chatterjee, VR specialist and one of the founders of ThePujaApp says, “Our viewership ranges from 45-50 lakh views every year, and 15% of our hits come from NRIs living in the United States. The farthest we have been able to connect is with Indian families in Bolivia and Chile. We have a ‘cult’ following of approximately four lakh users worldwide. Our projections are unique because we do not show the crowds. So the user feels that he/she is the only one in the pandal making it a very personal and hassle-free viewing experience.” 

Expanding the immersive experience

Up North, pulsating like the city’s beating heart is the large spheroid of Santosh Mitra Square. A replica of the Las Vegas Sphere, this giant sphere engages revellers through the language of emotion, light, colour, and sound. With 1,68,000 puck-sized LED lighting and captivating 11D shows, the sphere is 112 metres in height and 5,400 square metres in length. The interior features dramatic multidimensional immersive visual effects. Known earlier to have been one of the first pujas in the city to conduct laser and light shows, this year puja authorities have decided to do away with it to avoid stampede-like situations. 

In addition to these technological marvels, Durga Puja Pandal Hopper an application available on the Google Play Store has 10k+ downloads. With a rating of three out of five the app has had a consistent user base since 2018. The free application is a guide showcasing high-resolution images of pandals across Kolkata. Users can create a personalised wishlist using the GPRS on the app that highlights the pandals in the city. The app also allows ratings of pandals and keeps users updated on the best traffic routes to avoid crowds. A user of the app Sabari Moulik says, “I have been using the app for the last two years. The app is useful for navigating traffic and makes pandal hopping easier. Locations are precise, and the app also helps track pujas held in the suburbs.”

In the end, Kolkata’s Durga Puja embroiders the divine and digital on its fabric of timelessness. The gods still descend, as they always have, but now they arrive on virtual chariots, on the wings of fibre-optic cables and digital screens, an enigma refracted into pixels, algorithms and 11-dimensional light. Technology, no longer a troublesome intruder, becomes another storyteller chronicling the legend of the deity whose timeless whisper through the city remains unchanging. As she prepares for her descent many revellers like Sourya, armed with his AI-generated itinerary are off to seize the day. This is not the future of tradition, it is tradition reclaiming the future.