Kolkata is at the forefront of a wonderful, colourful display of all kinds in preparations for Durga Puja 2026. Roads and flyovers are festively festooned with bright colours and traditional work, bringing the festival to town and pandals. New photos from Gariahat Flyover show a lot of the busy stretch festooned with bright paintwork, which is a welcome touch in one of the city’s main places.
Gariahat Flyover gets a Festive Transformation
The Gariahat Flyover has become one of the focal points in Kolkata's pre-festival beautification drive. Pink, orange and yellow are transforming parts of the flyover, giving the road surface a striking new look.
The painting work began on October 8, and authorities plan to finish the decoration in the next days. Preparations for such a city ahead of Durga Puja are being done as part of preparations.
The transformation has been highlighted through videos and images posted on social media and in contrast to the fresh paint in the newly painted parts and in the parts that have not been completed.
Traditional Bengali Art Adds Cultural Charm
The city's festive makeover isn’t limited to bright paint. Old Bengali alpona designs are also present in the central district’s public places and at road junctions.
Alpona is a traditional folk-art tradition of Bengali culture. It features decorative patterns like floral patterns and geometric shapes and intricate designs. Made from rice flour and water, alpona is widely used in festivals, in religious ceremonies, and for auspicious occasions.
This means that by introducing such designs on public spaces, a cultural element to the beautification campaign is a cultural aspect too. And it shows how Kolkata’s Durga Puja celebrations go beyond the elaborate pandals to the roads and the everyday life of the city.
More Flyovers and Public Spaces Join the Drive
The Gariahat Flyover is not the only location we are looking at. The Chingrighata Flyover has also been part of the painting initiative, and other bridges and public spaces have been identified for decorative work.
There has also been alpona artwork on the Park Circus Connector and Garia More junction. These places are helping build the festive atmosphere in different parts of Kolkata.
The initiative involves agencies such as the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) and the Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) for flyover-related work.
#WATCH | West Bengal | Roads in Kolkata painted amid festive season ahead of Durga Puja during Navratri. Visuals from Gariahat Flyover show the stretch adorned with colourful artwork as the city prepares for the festival. https://t.co/fnpdZvTeji
— ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2026
Bengal Without Mamata Kolkata gets a Colourful Makeover for Durga Pujo❤️ 📍 Gariahat Flyover, Kolkata https://t.co/XEw8r88yrU
— Rahul (@Rahulk123d) October 12, 2026
Traffic and durability are important considerations for long-lived systems.
Painting busy road surfaces will need to be done in a coordinated manner to minimize inconvenience to motorists. Traffic restrictions have been set up for the work to go ahead, including overnight closures on some parts of the road (The Times of India).
In addition, the paint is also durable. With vehicles still using the flyovers, the decorative coating may wear away gradually with traffic.
So authorities have to balance the visual appeal of the makeover with road safety, traffic management and the practical demands of keeping busy transport routes open.
Kolkata welcomes the festival.
Durga Puja is one of Kolkata’s biggest cultural events and the confluence of religious traditions, art and community engagement is part and parcel of it. While the festivity is still very much about the pandals, the roads and the traditional art in itself are an added dimension to the city’s seasonal beauty.
Gariahat Flyover’s new look shows how Kolkata is preparing for the festivities. As more public places become festively decorated, the city is bringing Durga Puja into the everyday city.
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