A celebration of heritage, tradition, food, and devotion brings together five historic Kolkata households.
Kolkata’s festive spirit is deeply rooted in tradition, and few celebrations capture the city’s cultural soul as much as Kali Puja at its historic Bonedi Bari households. Behind the grand celebrations and illuminated courtyards lie stories of devotion, family legacies, age-old rituals, and culinary traditions lovingly preserved across generations.
Adding a new dimension to this cultural legacy is Festival of Lights & Love, a special heritage initiative curated by Arijit, Radio Jockey, Content Creator, and Heritage Research Coordinator, along with Luna Chatterjee, Brand Strategist, PR, and Influencer.
For the first time, this initiative aims to bring Kolkata’s Bonedi Bari Kali Puja celebrations, with their rich traditions, fascinating histories, and distinctive culinary heritage, to a wider audience through digital platforms. The project will showcase five historic heritage households, each celebrating Kali Puja for over a century, offering audiences a glimpse into the customs, rituals, and stories that make these celebrations truly unique.
More than just a documentation project, Festival of Lights & Love seeks to preserve and share an important part of Bengal’s intangible cultural heritage. From traditional worship and family customs to ancestral recipes and festive preparations, the initiative aims to capture the essence of these homes and the generations that have kept their traditions alive.
The official launch of the initiative is scheduled for 7 November at the premises of Darjipara Mitra Bari, one of Kolkata’s distinguished heritage households. The occasion will bring together several familiar faces from Kolkata, heritage enthusiasts, and well-wishers to celebrate the enduring spirit of Kali Puja and Diwali.
A particularly symbolic highlight of the evening will be the lighting of 108 diyas, representing the coming together of light, devotion, positivity, and love. The illumination will honor Bengal’s timeless traditions while celebrating the universal message of light triumphing over darkness.
The initiative also highlights the importance of taking heritage beyond physical boundaries. In an age when digital storytelling can connect generations and transcend geographical barriers, documenting these historic celebrations gives younger audiences a chance to discover and appreciate the cultural richness of their roots.
91.9 Friends FM is the radio partner.
As Kolkata celebrates the festival of lights, Festival of Lights & Love promises a heartfelt tribute to the city’s living heritage—where every diya tells a story, every ritual carries a legacy, and every ancestral home holds memories worth preserving.
Heritage is not merely what we inherit; it is what we choose to preserve and pass on to the generations that follow.
