From neighbourhood pujas to grand spectacles: How Lucknow's Durga Puja pandals are scaling up

Lucknow's Durga Puja has grown from a modest Bengali community celebration into a citywide festival with themed pandals, towering idols, and months of preparation, attracting lakhs of visitors. Numbers show dramatic growth: from one 1914 puja to over 250 organised celebrations across neighbourhoods, huge budgets, migrant artisans and corporate sponsors shaping increasingly ambitious spectacles.