After Op Sindoor, Kolkata's Santosh Mitra Square Picks Vande Mataram As 2026 Durga Puja Theme
After Op Sindoor, Kolkata's Santosh Mitra Square Picks Vande Mataram As 2026 Durga Puja Theme Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 20, 2026, 08:26
After Op Sindoor, Kolkata's Santosh Mitra Square Picks Vande Mataram As 2026 Durga Puja Theme Reported By, Edited By Last Updated: July 20, 2026, 08:26 IST The theme will be brought alive through an immersive presentation with lighting, sound design & artistic installations, highlighting Vande Mataram's role in the freedom struggle Rapid Read Following the change in government, the singing of Vande Mataram has been made compulsory in schools across Bengal. The 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram is being observed with year-long commemorative events across the country, and the celebrations are now set to find a place in Kolkata’s biggest cultural festival, Durga Puja. One of the city’s most prominent community pujas, the Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja, has chosen Vande Mataram as the central theme for its 2026 pandal. The committee, known for creating installations based on nationalist themes, has already begun preliminary work on the project. The puja committee attracted national attention last year with its ‘Operation Sindoor’ theme, which became one of the most talked-about attractions in Kolkata.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had inaugurated the Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja during last year’s festivities. Speaking exclusively to News18, Sajal Ghosh, president of the Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja Committee and BJP MLA, said: “This is the 150th year of Vande Mataram. This is the soil where Vande Mataram was born. We want to pay our tribute to it in every possible way. We have always tried to present nationalist themes through our Durga Puja. It was the clarion call of Vande Mataram that inspired India’s freedom movement, and we want to portray that journey through this year’s pandal." According to sources associated with the organisers, the theme will be brought alive through an immersive presentation featuring lighting, sound design, artistic installations and other thematic elements, highlighting the historical significance of Vande Mataram and its role in India’s freedom struggle. With Kolkata’s Durga Puja renowned for its intense competition over innovative themes and artistic excellence, the Vande Mataram concept is expected to be one of the major attractions of this year’s festival.
The choice of theme also comes against the backdrop of recent policy changes in West Bengal. Following the change in government, the singing of Vande Mataram has been made compulsory in schools across the state, adding further contemporary significance to the theme. As preparations gather pace, Santosh Mitra Square’s latest concept is likely to remain in focus, continuing the committee’s tradition of combining Durga Puja celebrations with themes centred on nationalism and historical narratives. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered How will the Vande Mataram theme be portrayed in the pandal? The Vande Mataram theme at the Santosh Mitra Square pandal for Durga Puja 2026 will be brought to life through an immersive presentation featuring lighting, sound design, and artistic installations that highlight the song's role in the freedom struggle. What was the 'Operation Sindoor' theme about last year? Last year, the Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja featured an 'Operation Sindoor' theme.
The BriefWire