About Durga Puja Chronicles
A father-daughter archive of Kolkata's greatest festival
Why We Built This
Kolkata's Durga Puja is the world's largest open-air art gallery, yet its masterpiece installations are ephemeral — rising in glory only to vanish after five days. We built this archive because we believe that while the pandals are dismantled, the stories they tell and the artistry they embody deserve a permanent home.
With the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tag, the need for systematic documentation is greater than ever. We wanted to move beyond private folders and hard drives to create a living, breathing history of our city's greatest festival.
Durga Puja Runs in the Family
For both of us, Durga Puja has never just been a festival — it's the highlight of the year. The pandal-hopping, the late nights, the crowds, the chaos, the light on the idol at 2am — it's something we've always done together.
Angshu has had a camera in his hand during Puja for as long as either of us can remember. It started as something he just did, and over the years turned into thousands of photographs spanning nearly three decades. Sharanya grew up tagging along on those nights out, and somewhere along the way picked up the same habit.
This website came out of a simple question — all these photos are sitting on hard drives, why not put them somewhere? Sharanya enjoys building things, so she built it.
Who We Are
A father and daughter from Kolkata, with too many Puja photos and nowhere to put them.
Angshu
Founder & Photographer
Has been photographing Durga Puja since 1995 — first as a college student with a film camera, now with a DSLR that's seen better days. Photography is less a hobby and more just how he sees the festival. The five days of Puja are, for him, the best five days of the year to go out and shoot.
Sharanya
Co-Archivist & Developer
Grew up going to Puja with her father and his camera. She likes building things, and when the idea of an archive came up she just went ahead and built it — the whole site, the database, the photo pipeline. Her father pointed her in the right direction when she needed it, but this is very much her project.
What It's Actually Like
Shooting Puja means navigating Saptami crowds at midnight, finding an angle around the person who just stepped in front of your lens, and hoping your battery doesn't die before you get to the next pandal. It's loud, it's hot, and it's the best kind of exhausting.
Some of the best photos happen when you stop trying — when you're just walking and something catches the light in the right way. That's what we're chasing every year.
Contact & Collaboration
An archive is only as strong as its community. We invite you to add your own perspective to this history. If you have photographs or stories from Pujas gone by — whether it's a blurry snap from the 90s or a stunning high-res theme from last year — we want to hear from you.
Write to us to contribute to the archive. We are honoured to publish your work with full credits, ensuring your memories become part of Kolkata's documented heritage.
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