Shib Mandir

Shib Mandir (Lake Road) Sarbojanin Durga Puja

Shib Mandir, popularly known as the Shib Mandir (Lake Road) Sarbojanin Durga Puja, is a long-established neighbourhood community puja of South Kolkata. The pandal stands in the Lake Range area of Kalighat, at 13/A Dr T.N. Majumder Street, a short walk from Rabindra Sarobar Metro station, and has for decades drawn pandal-hoppers from across the city during the five days of Durga Puja.

Like many para pujas of South Kolkata, Shib Mandir blends traditional ritual with contemporary artistic ambition. Over the years the committee has worked with recognised theme-makers and designers to build pandals that tell stories through craft, lighting and installation art. One of its noted collaborators has been Subrata Bandyopadhyay. In 2012 the club presented a theme opposing human cloning, depicting the demon Rakta-beej through iron rods and tin and carrying a DNA structure, while the goddess was rendered in traditional clay. In 2013 the theme 'Shaktipunja' explored the idea of power residing in nature and in every living creature through colourful alpana and handicrafts.

The 2024 edition was conceived as a fusion of heritage and modern imagination, using eco-friendly materials and layered illumination to create an immersive experience. Beyond the pandal, Shib Mandir is known for its cultural programmes, dhunuchi dance competitions and the community bhog that brings families and visitors together. Its idol of Maa Durga is admired for detailed craftsmanship, whether presented in the classic 'daaker saaj' style or a more contemporary artistic form.

For South Kolkatans, Shib Mandir is less a spectacle than an emotion passed across generations — a gathering point where devotion, art and adda meet on the streets beside Lake Road each autumn.