Kolkata Creates History With 500 Foot 'Alpana': 20 Artists Paint Breathtaking Canvas On Street

Durga Puja in Kolkata has never been just a religious ritual, it is a festival of art, identity, and emotion that transforms the entire city into a cultural spectacle. In 2025, the celebrations reached new heights in Newtown with the unveiling of a gigantic alpana (floor art), stretching 500 feet and covering nearly 13,000 square feet. More than decoration, this masterpiece has emerged as a powerful symbol of Bengal’s heritage, resilience, and innovation.

What is Alpana?

Alpana is a centuries-old traditional art form of Bengal, created with rice paste, chalk, or natural dyes on floors and courtyards during festive occasions. The designs usually depict flowers, leaves, geometric patterns, and spiritual motifs that invoke positivity and divinity. Traditionally small in scale, these artworks adorned home entrances and puja spaces. But this year, Newtown transformed an entire street into an open-air gallery, rewriting the scale of what alpana can represent.

The newtown masterpiece

The 2025 Newtown alpana is among the largest ever attempted for Durga Puja. Conceptualized through Artificial Intelligence by digital artist Suvranil Nath, the design was later executed by Anindita Deb and her team of 20 skilled painters. Over five days of rigorous effort, they hand-painted every detail to perfection. Spanning 500 feet in length and nearly 13,000 square feet in area, this creation near New Town Sarbojanin Puja Pandal has quickly become one of the most talked-about landmarks of this year’s festivities.

Tradition meets technology

What makes this alpana extraordinary is its fusion of age-old artistry with cutting-edge technology. AI helped visualise the grand design with symmetry and innovative patterns, but the final execution relied entirely on human artistry. Every stroke was manually painted, reflecting the irreplaceable skill and devotion of Bengal’s artists. This marriage of modern tools and traditional methods showcases how culture can adapt without losing its roots.

Symbol of resilience after the rains

The unveiling comes right after Kolkata battled days of heavy rainfall and waterlogged streets. Despite the challenging weather, the artists persisted, painting under difficult conditions to ensure the alpana was ready before the festival’s peak. For many residents, this floor painting is more than a visual spectacle, it is a symbol of hope and perseverance. Much like Goddess Durga’s victory over evil, the alpana represents Kolkata’s spirit of rising above hardship with colors, faith, and creativity.

A landmark in the making

As Durga Puja continues to evolve with new forms of expression, the Newtown alpana of 2025 stands out as a landmark achievement. It doesn’t just celebrate the goddess, it celebrates resilience, artistry, and the power of community spirit. For Kolkata, it is yet another reminder that Durga Puja is not just a festival, it is a way of life, painted in vibrant colors on the canvas of the city itself.