Two organisations have come together to make autistic individuals participate in the Durga Puja celebrations by taking them around some of Kolkata’s well-known pandals before those sites begin to get crowded.
India Autism Center, in collaboration with MassArt, will give around 450 autistic individuals a tour of 24 pandals from September 18 to 22, shortly before the religious opening of West Bengal’s most famous festival. For the last several years now, especially after Durga Puja was included in UNESCO’s cultural heritage list in 2021, pandal hopping begins long before priests take their positions in the pandals.
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These 24 pandals include popular puja locations such as Hatibagan, Kashi Bose Lane, Hindusthan Park, Tridhara Akalbodhon, Behala Friends, Barisha Club, 41 Pally, Santoshpur Lake Pally, Chaltabagan, and Naktala Udayan Sangha.
MassArt, a Kolkata-based initiative that encourages indigenous and contemporary art, is, in any case, using these 24 sites to promote pandal art before a sea of humanity descends on them, calling their effort, on social media, a “once-in-a-year chance to step behind the scenes, meet the artists, hear the stories, and witness the art, craftsmanship, and cultural narratives that make Durga Puja the world’s biggest public art festival.”
“This is the first time that 24 major pandals across Kolkata are coming under a unified accessibility guideline, created for individuals with autism. The focus this year is not only on physical accessibility, but also on sensory, psychological and emotional inclusivity. Although in the previous editions of their preview show, MassArt has had socially inclusive events with the disabled, this is the very first time where it’s autism specific,” said Jaishankar Natarajan, CEO, India Autism Center.
“This initiative is for children as well as adults. Though there’s no specified age cap, we’ve aimed to keep the age bracket limited from five to 35 years,” Mr. Natarajan said.
According to him, autistic individuals don’t just face challenges because of their condition, it’s also societal lack of acceptance that makes the condition a stigma. “Apart from that, sensory overload in public spaces, limited access to inclusive education and opportunities and social isolation are some of the major social challenges that they keep experiencing in general. Even a lot of highly skilled individuals face workplace discrimination, leading to underemployment and even unemployment,” he said.
During Durga Puja too, Mr. Natarajan said, the challenge was not so much about physical access to the pandals but about psychological comfort and sensory ease. “For individuals under the spectrum, crowded pandals, loud sounds, and unpredictable environments can get overwhelming and distressing. With the help of trained volunteers sensitised by clinical and rehabilitation psychologists, sensory safe zones (dedicated quieter corners or zones where autistic individuals can rest if they start having a meltdown), barrier-free pathways (wider paths, ramps, non-slip flooring, handrails, etc.) as well as clear signage and guided movement, we aim to bridge the gap between festivities and the opportunity to be able to celebrate without any fear or exhaustion,” he said.
Published – September 12, 2025 02:14 pm IST
