Carnival of award winning Durga Pujas in Kolkata

Government award winning Durga Pujas today took out colourful tableaux in a carnival here before their immersion, as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that this would become an annual event.
In front of Banerjee and other guests and people, 39 Durga puja committees that have won the "Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman" this year showcased their tableaux based on the theme of their Puja in the carnival, organised by the state government.
"Biswa Bangla Sharad Samman" is a state government award given to Durga Puja committees to appreciate the brilliance and innovation in organising the biggest festival of the state.

From the graceful moves of Manipuri dancers to the energetic leaps of Chhau dancers, the inaugural edition of the immersion carnival also witnessed rhythmic beats of dhaks to the soul-stirring sounds of dhamsas and madals.
"We have decided to make it an annual event to offer the world yet another exclusive window to our great Durga Puja festival," Banerjee tweeted later in the evening.
"Today we have exhibited a new public carnival with the best (Durga) puja committees. It (the procession) is really an excellent one... Superb. It will open up a new horizon and the whole world will see as next year we will do it in a far better way," Banerjee said at the end of the processions on Red Road.

Thanking Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, the force and other departments for successfully hosting the procession, Banerjee said that next year the "carnival" would be bigger and 75 Durga Puja Committees will take part.

"It will grow and we will make it (the procession) as the world's biggest public carnival," she said.
She praised artworks depicted in different Durga Pujas in the city and said that a permanent exhibition centre for the best pujas would be set up near New Town Eco Tourism park.
Eminent personalities like former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, former Davis Cup captain Akhtar Ali, Olympian Dola Banerjee, shooter Joydeep Karmakar, singers Dwijen Mukherjee, Haimanti Sukla and Purna Das Baul were present on the occasion.