86th Greater Pune Sarbojanin Durgotsav to Open with Anandamela Food Festival and Docra Art Pandal
Reported by Shoaib Tadvi
Shivajinagar, 23rd September 2025: The Bangiya Sanskriti Samsad (BSS) is set to host the 86th Greater Pune Sarbojanin Durgotsav at Congress Bhawan, Shivajinagar, from September 27 to October 2, 2025. This year’s celebrations will focus on devotion, culture, and sustainability, featuring a Docra art-inspired pandal and a fully bio-degradable idol of Goddess Durga.
The festivities will commence on September 27 (Panchami) with Inquizition 2025—a quiz competition with preliminaries and finals—followed by the much-awaited Anandamela, a home-made food festival.
Speaking about the preparations, BSS Chairperson Dr. Anupam Kashyapi said, “This year we are creating a unique pandal inspired by the Dokra art of Purulia, West Bengal, and our Durga idol will be completely bio-degradable. The intricate art is beautiful and sure to delight visitors. On September 27, our members will prepare a variety of mouth-watering dishes for the Anandamela at Congress Bhawan. The proceeds from the food festival will go towards supporting BSS, a charitable organization.”
The cultural program schedule is as follows:
September 28 (Shashthi): Inaugural program with Udbodhoni Sangeet, Durga Puja inauguration, and Ujaan Live musical evening.
September 29 (Saptami): Tagore’s dance drama Tasher Desh and Ragas Blue fusion music.
September 30 (Ashtami): Sangeet-Salile Bhasai Tori, a tribute to Salil Chowdhury, along with classical and contemporary dance performances.
October 1 (Navami): Hits of Bollywood musical evening by Shri Ashokkumar Saraf with international troupe Melody Makers.
October 2 (Dashami): Traditional Sindur Khela under the theme “All Inclusive, No Conditions Apply.”
With its vibrant mix of food, music, dance, and devotion, the 86th Greater Pune Sarbojanin Durgotsav is poised to offer an unforgettable cultural experience to the city’s community.
