The Durga Puja pandals in the NCR region are not only celebrating Bengali folk arts and heritage, but also focusing on empowering women and promoting the theme of women's safety. For example, the B-Block pandal in CR Park resembles the Kashi Vishwanath temple, while the Kali Mandir pandal is adorned with alpona motifs. Additionally, the Milani Cultural and Welfare Association's pandal is themed around women's empowerment, aiming to raise awareness about women's safety through art. The pandal set up by Bangiya Parishad is inspired by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Barnaparichay, while in Gurgaon's Sector 56, the theme is Barnoporichoy. The Cooperative Ground Durga Puja Samity's pandal pays tribute to rural Bengali culture, featuring panels celebrating Jamini Roy and showcasing traditional Bengali handicraft items. The Durgotsab GK 2 pandal displays Kalighat-style patachitra art and a visual sankirtan on its ceiling, with a black and white sketch by artist Nilanjan honoring the workers who built the pandal.Celebrating traditional folk art from four regions of Bengal - Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, and Midnapur - which are known for their rich red soil, Pocket 40 in CR Park is adorned with gamcha and showcases the rural heritage of the Rahr Bangla areas of Bengal. School teacher and artist Ashish was observed adding finishing touches to shora - hand-painted earthen discs at the pandal.

The theme 'Abandoned Mothers' at Arambagh Puja Samiti's pandal sheds light on the challenges faced by widows navigating life on their own, focusing on mothers left to fend for themselves. Matri Mandir's pandal takes visitors on a captivating journey into the heart of gram Bangla with vibrant Bengali artwork displayed throughout the alleys and panels.

At Jalvayu Vihar Sanskritik Kalyan Samity's pandal in Sector 21, artists from Bengal have recreated a Bonedi Bari with green wooden windows and cross beams on the ceiling, featuring paintings celebrating dhunuchi naach. The 16th edition of Balaka Durgotsav in Sector 61 Noida showcases the theme 'Temple of Peace and Harmony' with an off-white and gold pandal adorned with intricate cut-outs of doves.

Alpona on the street leads visitors to Noida Sector 137 Sarbojanin Pujo Samiti’s pandal, decorated with hand-painted kulos - hand-woven sieves made from bamboo or cane commonly used in Bengali households. Drawing inspiration from the film 'Sonnar Kella' (1974), DLF Phase IV's DCDP Bengali Cultural Society celebrates Satyajit Ray's cinema and the Ray family's legacy - Upendra Kishor, Sukumar, and Satyajit Ray with a pandal facade resembling the golden fortress seen in the film.The structure is reminiscent of the Sun Temple of Konark. Image credits: Ajay Kumar Gautam, Ranjit Kumar, Lokesh Kashyap, Nishad Alam.