Durga Puja, one of the most anticipated festivals in Kolkata, has arrived, and social media platforms are brimming with reels and photos showcasing the opulent thematic pandals that the city is renowned for. Amid this digital influx is Sourya Roy, an IT professional, who often finds himself overwhelmed by the plethora of information available. In search of clarity and efficiency, Sourya turns to ChatGPT, the AI-fueled assistant, to craft a curated four-day itinerary for pandal hopping across the city. Within mere moments, the AI generates a meticulously detailed and thoughtfully paced plan covering the most admired exhibits spread across North, South, East, and West Kolkata, complete with the fastest routes and recommended eateries en route.
This year, the iconic Durga Puja celebrations are experiencing a transformative evolution with digital advancements harmonizing with time-honored traditions. Over the decades, Durga Puja has transformed from its quaint cultural and religious roots into an avant-garde celebration amalgamating art, culture, history, and now, cutting-edge technology. The introduction of OpenAI, 360-degree Virtual Reality (VR) tours, technologically advanced 11D lighting, dynamic light and sound installations, and mobile applications tailored for pandal hopping have collectively redefined the festival into an immersive experience. Notably, the Kolkata Police have unveiled AI-enabled digital display boards this year, which provide real-time updates on the waiting times at major pandals, marking another leap in technological integration.
ThePujaApp, a non-profit entity based in Kolkata, is at the forefront of this digital transformation. For over 13 years, it has been offering free virtual reality tours of past and present pujas, accessible via iOS, Android devices, and the Oculus VR headset. With an impressive archive of over 300 past puja experiences, ThePujaApp allows users to explore these festivals in vivid detail.
Soumyajit Chakraborty, a project manager at EY in Ireland who has been living abroad for over 15 years, shares, “Since relocating, I’ve used ThePujaApp to introduce my friends in Ireland to the wonders of Durga Puja. The VR tours, available in ultra-high 15k resolution, render a vibrant and palpable experience. I usually stream it on my iPhone and view it on a flat screen or pair it with my Oculus for full immersion into the festival’s fervor.”
Recently, the founders of ThePujaApp invited the writer to experience Durga Puja through an Oculus headset. The VR experience was akin to being embedded within an intricate art installation. Through the high-resolution 15k panoramas, the virtual reality environment captured every nuanced detail – from delicate brushstrokes to intricate patterns inside the pandals. The commanding image of Goddess Durga felt enveloped in realism. Drone shots descended from above, revealing ornate pandal structures resembling celestial shrines against the Kolkata skyline. The sensory experience was enhanced by the hymns, the rhythmic beats of the ‘dhaak’ (drums), and the contemporary city sounds intertwining seamlessly, all in the absence of bustling crowds. An X-Ray screen displayed the artists’ names associated with the pandal’s creation, lending further depth to the experience.
Partho Ghosh, General Secretary of Shibmandir Durga Puja and a member of the Durga Puja Forum states, “Before the arrival of Durga Puja, skilled non-profits like ThePujaApp approach us to digitally capture the spirit of the pandals. These high-resolution visuals are invaluable for artists to identify minute craftsmanship errors, thereby ensuring that the final refinements on the idol and pandal are impeccable.
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Soumyaditya Mukherjee, a journalist and co-founder of ThePujaApp, remarks, “We perceive Durga Puja to be no less an immersive experience. Through our VR solutions, we wish to extend Durga Puja’s magic to global audiences.”
Arpan Chatterjee, a VR specialist and co-founder of ThePujaApp, adds, “Our annual viewership ranges from 4.5 to 5 million, with 15% of visitors being Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) from the United States. We’ve even reached Indian families as far as Bolivia and Chile. We’ve cultivated a dedicated following of about 400,000 users worldwide. Our projections offer a unique experience by excluding the crowd scenes, giving users the impression of an exclusive, personal tour of the pandal.”
The technological evolution isn’t just limited to the North, as demonstrated by the stunning Santosh Mitra Square. Standing tall like a pulsing heart of the city, this spherical installation, inspired by the Las Vegas Sphere, captivates visitors with an emotive tapestry of light, color, and sound. With 1,68,000 tiny LED lights and mesmerizing 11D shows, the 112-meter high and 5,400 square meters wide sphere transforms the space with arresting multidimensional visuals. Known in the past for conducting one of the initial laser and light shows, this year the organizers decided to forgo these elements to avoid crowd-related incidents.
Moreover, the ‘Durga Puja Pandal Hopper’ app, available on Google Play Store with over 10,000 downloads, has been facilitating participants since 2018. By offering an aggregation of high-resolution images of pandals across the city, it invites users to construct personalized wish lists with GPRS-enabled features, highlighting significant pandals. The app also allows users to rate pandals and suggest optimal traffic routes to evade congestion. User Sabari Moulik comments, “I’ve been using the app for the past two years. It’s incredibly beneficial for navigating traffic and simplifying pandal hopping. The precision of locations and inclusion of suburban puja details is particularly helpful.”
Ultimately, Kolkata’s Durga Puja serves as a magnificent tapestry weaving together the divine and digital threads of timeless tradition. The divine presence is as palpable as ever, only now arriving on virtual chariots, gliding on the currents of fiber-optic cables and bright digital screens—a mystical entity refracted through pixels and enlivened in vibrant 11-dimensional light. Far from being a disruptive force, technology emerges as a collaborator in chronicling the legend of the deity, whose eternal whispers through the city remain steadfast. As the goddess prepares for her descent, many like Sourya, armed with their AI-generated itineraries, are poised to embrace the day. This isn’t the future of tradition—it is tradition passionately reclaiming its future.
