Options galore for tourists to celebrate Durga Puja

The West Bengal tourism department is leaving no stone unturned to cater to the varied liking of foreign and domestic tourists during Durga Puja beginning this week.
Not to be left behind are the Metro Railway, the suburban rail services operated by Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway and private tour operators.
The West Bengal tourism department has come up with numerous packages for pandal hopping in Kolkata and other places outside Kolkata.
"We have made efforts to include different flavours of Durga Pujas, the biggest festival of the state, to cater to all kinds of tourists and their varied likings ... from the hustle and bustle of the city with its overwhelming lights, colours and large pandals to the serene atmosphere of a village where the pujas are celebrated in a different way," West Bengal tourism minister Gautam Deb said.

"Several tour packages for all kinds of people have been planned for viewing popular Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata as well as sightseeing in different places of the state," he said.
The Kolkata Carnival will also be organised during the pujas, the minister said.

"Apart from these, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup will commence from the first week of October, which will also attract tourists from different parts of the world as also from other parts of the country," Deb told PTI here.
Deb said that the state government is arranging tours for players from different countries so that they can go around and visit some Durga Puja pandals in and around the city.

"Though the situation is still not conducive for tourists to visit Darjeeling and other destinations in the hills, tourists are flocking to Dooars in the foothills and adjoining plains in north Bengal," Deb said.
Other places of tourist interest like Purulia in the rugged and hilly western part, the sea resort town of Digha, and Murshidabad with its rich heritage are also being decked up for travellers.
In addition, the state tourism department is organising various tours and one such tour will be visiting the famous puja pandals in north and south Kolkata in air-conditioned buses.
Tourists will also be able to visit traditional household pujas and the pujas of erstwhile zamindars in the city like Shovabazar Rajbari, Rani Rashmoni, Khelat Ghosh Bari, Thanthania Dutta Bari, Chatu Babu and Latu Babu Bari pujas.

Tours will also be organised to take tourists to some famous zamindar households in the districts like Surul Rajbari in Birbhum, Kashim Bazar Rajbari in Murshidabad.
The state tourism department is also organising cruises on the Ganga during the four days of Durga Puja starting from Mahasaptami on September 27, a state tourism department official said.
Apart from the state tourism department, several private tour operators are organising similar tours for tourists and locals. They have also made arrangements for river cruises.
Like other years, the Metro Railway will run train services throughout the night during Durga Pujas from Mahasaptami to facilitate smooth transportation for revellers.

Suburban train services by both Eastern and South Eastern Railway will have several extra runs during evening and night for the benefit of people coming to the city for viewing the famous puja pandals.