UNESCO, IIT-KGP launch accessibility program for Durga puja to support senior citizens and disabled individuals

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has joined hands with the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) to help design a programme to make Durga Puja more accessible for senior citizens, people with disability and pregnant women and children. A draft plan in this regard will be submitted by IIT-KGP by next week. The West Bengal government is also part of the project.

Junhi Han, chief of culture sector, UNESCO South Asia Regional Office-New Delhi, said that in 2024, more than 185 million people, including 17,000 foreigners, visited West Bengal during Durga Puja, making it one of the largest cultural gatherings globally. “The festival’s economic contribution is $10.2 billion… Despite global appeal, its benefit was not accessible to elderly persons, disabled, women and children… To address this gap, UNESCO, UN, West Bengal government, massArt and IIT-KGP have come up with this Accessibility Programme,” Han said.

Haimanti Banerji, professor, Department of Architecture & Regional Planning, IIT-KGP, said, “The draft plan will be ready within one week. We started the work around two months back. We have consulted domain experts and visited the puja pandals.”


The plan will include Durga Puja-specific guidelines, she said, adding, “We will follow specific zones - pickup and drop zones, pickup to pandal, usage of ramps, food zone, resting area, parking. There will be specific guidelines which the puja committees will be customising. Proper signage should be used.”

The accessibility programme will be customised with modular designs as every puja pandal has a different structure.

“The guidelines will be a combination of text and sketches. There will be a set of guidelines and protocols,” Banerji said.

The accessibility programme will be first implemented from September 18-22 by massArt, a Kolkata based non-governmental organisation, during its fourth edition of the Preview Show 2025 of Durga Puja Art. Altogether, 24 renowned puja committees will be participating in the preview.

“The accessibility programme will have common guidelines which will be implemented across Bengal... In addition, the Autumn Art Fair will be held from September 18-22 in collaboration with HIDCO at Alipore Museum,” said Dhrubojyoti Banerjee, secretary, massArt.

The fair will showcase art objects associated with the respective themes of the 24 iconic Durga puja art venues and crafted by the community artisans that can be purchased.

Kausik Basak, Ex-officio director of the state Information and Cultural Affairs Department, said that the guidelines will be shared with all stakeholders and that the police will also play a major role as it is in charge of crowd management.

Bonedi Barir Pujo, or Durga Puja celebrations held in the ancestral homes of wealthy families, have been incorporated in this year’s preview, along with yatrapala (drama shows), putul nach (puppet show) and Kavigaan (a genre of music).