Curated Luxury Tours Offer New Way to Experience Kolkata During Durga Puja

High visitor numbers and heavy traffic make navigating Durga puja in Kolkata difficult for many people. A tourism startup called Kolkata Unforgettable tries to solve this problem by offering private transport, curated itineraries and meetings with cultural experts. The business was set up in 2023 by Sudarshan Mundra, Vasudha Pachisia and Shailja Mundra. Their tour packages include convoy-led visits to pandals, Ganga river cruises, food trails and craft workshops. Visitors can stay at hotels like Taj Bengal, ITC Sonar, or ITC Royal Bengal, and experience rituals like sindoor khela at a rajbari.

Growth and Offerings

Sudarshan notes that the initiative helps people understand Kolkata beyond standard landmarks like the Victoria Memorial, Howrah Bridge, or Kalighat. The team visits pandals during construction to choose locations based on the quality of work rather than past fame. Food is a key part of the experience, with packages featuring regional Bengali dishes, Murshidabadi food at a rajbari, Chinese cuisine, street food, and roadside tea. Growth has been rapid since launch. Client numbers rose from eight visitors in 2023 to 123 in 2024 and 230 in 2025. Registrations from outside the city have already passed 600 for this year. An evening pandal-hopping package for locals cost 9,800 rupees, which drew some criticism over pricing compared to independent travel.

Economic Impact

Beyond tourism, the founders hope affluent guests will invest in Bengal's economy. A 2021 British Council study commissioned by the West Bengal Government's Department of Tourism estimated the economic value of Durga puja creative industries at 32,377 crore rupees, which equals 2.58 percent of the state's GDP. That same study recorded nearly 14.88. lakh passenger arrivals over the five-day festival in 2019. The report also suggested improving tourism infrastructure, trained guides and access to traditional zamindari pujas.

Context

Durga puja is the biggest annual festival in West Bengal, drawing millions of visitors who crowd the streets of Kolkata to view artistic pandals and idols. The massive scale of the celebration supports a large network of local artists, artisans, and craftspeople who spend months preparing for the event. Structured tourism initiatives attempt to channel economic benefits directly to these creators while easing the logistical difficulties of city travel during peak festival days.