This Year Durga Puja Is About To Get A Chinese Twist

Kolkata: As part of a plan to build people-to-people relations between West Bengal and Yunnan province, China will bring in tourists to Kolkata from Kunming city during the festive season of Durga Puja. Kolkata and Yunnan province will be connected through the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor.

“We are making arrangements so that a group of maybe around 100-200 people from China can come to Kolkata during the Durga Puja in October. Just like Indians, Chinese also have a huge interest in culture. There is a lot of synergy in eastern cultures,” Chinese consul general Ma Zhanwu said.

They are also planning to tie-up with Durga Puja pandals in the city so that Chinese symbols like those related to dragons, umbrellas etc. can also be showcased during the four-day-long festival.

“It will be an exchange of culture,” he added.

A team of government officials from Yunnan province will be in the city later this month to hold talks with the state tourism department officials and big Puja organizers.

“Once the new state government takes charge, we will talk with the tourism department,” the diplomat said.

The group of Chinese tourists will be taken on a tour all over the city to showcase some of the most attractive pandals, beside the regular attractions of colonial-era Kolkata. Chinese symbols like those related to dragons, umbrellas etc will also be showcased during the four-day-long festival here.

Durga Puja will take place early in October this year.