Kolkata may be the beating heart of Durga Puja, with millions thronging its streets every autumn to marvel at pandals, idols, and the carnival nights that define the city’s spirit. But the festival’s essence spills far beyond the capital with each town and district of Bengal adding its own texture to the celebration. From ancient rituals preserved in rural corners to unique local customs, these celebrations reveal the festival's deeper cultural roots.

Madhurima Chakraborty, now residing in New York, remembers a ritual from the ‘Nikhuji der Pujo’ in Ballygunge in Kolkata that started more than half a century ago. Started for a girl named Uma from the family, to cure her sickness—the pujo follows strict rituals. “The practise of ‘dhuno porano’ in a terracotta bowl placed on the head of the

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