The Bangiya Parishad's pandal design is inspired by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's Barnaparichay. While many Durga Puja pandals showcase Bengali folk arts and heritage, some in the NCR region are focusing on the theme of women's safety to empower the goddesses in our daily lives. Various pandals in CR Park, such as B-Block's Kashi Vishwanath-themed pandal and Mela Ground's daaker saaj-style idol, as well as the Kali Mandir pandal adorned with alpona motifs, celebrate heritage with creativity. The Milani Cultural and Welfare Association's pandal is dedicated to women's empowerment, using art to raise awareness about women's safety. Mayur Vihar Ph-1's pandal features hand-painted pankhas to highlight the theme. In Gurgaon's Sector 56, the focus is on Barnoporichoy, a term from Bengali literature related to the introduction to the alphabet. The cooperative ground Durga Puja Samity's pandal pays homage to rural Bangla, incorporating elements like Jamini Roy's art, haath pankhas, gamcha, and other Bengali handicrafts for a rustic touch. The Durgotsab GK2 pandal features Kalighat-style patachitra art on the ceiling, resembling a visual sankirtan. Visitors to Durgotsab GK2 are welcomed by a black and white sketch of the workers who constructed the pandal, created by artist Nilanjan, in a gesture of appreciation.The festival at 40, CR Park, is showcasing traditional folk art from four regions of Bengal - Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia, and Midnapur, known for their fertile red soil. Adorned with gamchhas on the ceiling, the walls and panels are exhibiting the rural heritage of the Rahr Bangla areas of Bengal. Ashish, a school teacher and artist, was putting the finishing touches on a shora - hand-painted earthen discs at the Pocket 40 pandal. The theme ‘Abandoned Mothers’ at the Arambagh Puja Samiti pandal sheds light on the challenges faced by widows navigating life alone. The Matri Mandir pandal offers a mesmerizing journey into the heart of gram Bangla with vibrant Bengali artwork showcased throughout the alleys and panels. The Jalvayu Vihar Sanskritik Kalyan Samity’s pandal in Sector 21 features artists from Bengal creating a Bonedi Bari, complete with green wooden windows and cross beams on the ceiling, embellished with paintings celebrating dhunuchi naach. In its 16th edition, Balaka Durgotsav in Sector 61 Noida presents the theme ‘Temple of Peace and Harmony’, with the off-white and gold pandal adorned with intricate cut-outs of doves. The Noida Sector 137 Sarbojanin Pujo Samiti’s pandal is inviting visitors with Alpona on the street, leading to a display of multiple hand-painted kulos - hand-woven sieves commonly found in Bengali households. Drawing inspiration from the film Sonnar Kella (1974), the DLF Phase IV's DCDP Bengali Cultural Society is celebrating Satyajit Ray's cinema and the Ray family's legacy - Upendra Kishor, Sukumar, and Satyajit Ray, with a pandal facade resembling the golden fortress in the film.It bears a resemblance to the Sun Temple of Konark. Photos by Ajay Kumar Gautam, Ranjit Kumar, Lokesh Kashyap, Nishad Alam.