S B Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja 2026: ‘Colliery’ Theme
S B Park Sarbojanin’s 56th Durga Puja in 2026
S B Park Sarbojanin marks its 56th Durga Puja in 2026 with a theme called ‘Colliery’. The pandal brings the history and hardships of coal mining to Thakurpukur, in the Behala area of south-west Kolkata.
A colliery is a coal mine together with the buildings and equipment that run it. This theme puts that world, and the difficult working lives tied to it, at the centre of the Puja. This guide covers the theme, the artists behind it and what to know before you visit.
The ‘Colliery’ theme at S B Park Sarbojanin
The ‘Colliery’ theme centres on the history and hardships of coal mining. Raju Sarkar leads the concept and idol design, and Somnath Mondal is credited with research and information gathering, which points to a theme built on documented history.
Coal mining has a long history in eastern India, and the Raniganj coalfield in West Bengal is often cited as the country’s oldest. A pandal on this subject gives Puja visitors a way to engage with that industry and the people who worked in it.
The committee picks a very different story each year:
- 2023: ‘Elem Notun Deshe’, a theme about arriving in a new country.
- 2024: ‘Our Mother Goddess’, which pictured Durga through a child’s imagination in soft pastel tones.
- 2025: ‘Pratna Kotha’, which recreated the Moghalmari excavation site in Paschim Medinipur, where ruins of a Buddhist monastery were found.
‘Colliery’ continues this habit of building a whole Puja around one specific story.
Who is behind the 2026 Colliery pandal
Five named creators shape the S B Park Sarbojanin pandal, from idol design to research.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Concept and idol design (lead) | Raju Sarkar |
| Associate artist | Pritam Paul |
| Lighting | Debabrata Maiti |
| Background score and ambience | Sujoynil |
| Research and information gathering | Somnath Mondal |
Lighting, sound and ambience
Debabrata Maiti designs the lighting and Sujoynil creates the background score and ambience for the Colliery pandal. In a themed pandal, light and sound shape the mood from the moment a visitor walks in. Take a few minutes inside rather than rushing through, since the audio and lighting are part of how the theme is told.
Visiting S B Park Sarbojanin in Thakurpukur
S B Park Sarbojanin is in Thakurpukur, in the Behala area of south-west Kolkata, and it draws large crowds. In 2023 the committee’s secretary said daily footfall was above one lakh and expected it to keep rising.
A few tips for pandal hoppers:
- Go early in the day or on a weekday if you can, since evenings are usually the busiest.
- Wear comfortable footwear and keep your phone and wallet secure in the queue.
- Combine the visit with other Behala pandals to make a full day of it.
- Check local news or the committee’s social pages for opening hours and any queue arrangements before you leave.
