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KOLKATA, INDIA, October 12, 2004: After its resounding success last year, a group of Kolkatans have come together again to package the Durga Puja festival — the main festival of Bengalis the world over — as a major tourist attraction. Positioning Durga Puja — a five-day cultural fiesta revolving around the worship of Goddess Durga during her mythical sojourn on earth — in the same league as the Tulip and Notting Hill festivals, the organizers hope to draw foreign tourists by underlining the event’s unparalleled mystique and grandeur. The five-day autumn festival that began October 19 celebrates Durga’s slaying of demon king Mahishasura to symbolize the victory of good over evil. Durga Puja, one of India’s biggest and most colorful religious festivals in India, is unique, and if packaged correctly it could become a money-spinner by becoming a regular feature on the itinerary of the global tourist, says the group that calls itself Happenings. With this line of thought as its inspiration, the group began packaging the festival last year and showcased it over five days to 40 foreign tourists.

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