India, Oct. 18 -- Strap: From fluid structures that create the illusion of a floating goddess to a monumental chariot inspired by the Mahabharata, these Durga Puja installations combine devotion, craftsmanship and ambitious design. Tridhara Sammilani (Dragon World & Pen Durga) Tridhara Sammilani in Kalighat / Manohar Pukur, South Kolkata features a fantasy realm guarded by giant dragon sculptures symbolizing evil. Maa Durga is seated triumphantly above them. The highlight is a 5.5-foot idol sculpted by Chandra Nath Saha using 13,000 recycled plastic pens and refills to promote environmental recycling. Tala Prattoy (Viral Floating Durga) Famous for treating public space as open-air installation art, Tala Prattoy in Belgachia / Tala, North Kolkata features a floating Durga idol set against architectural framing. The design uses negative space, delicate light play, and fluid structures to create the visual illusion of the deity suspended weightlessly over water. Central Colony, Siliguri (A Fairy Tale of Sculptures) Siliguri's Central Colony transforms tradition by adorning the Durga idol in over 100 kilograms of real gold jewellery valued above Rs.120 crore. The theme blends classic sculptural art with opulence, housed inside an ISKCON-inspired structure protected by multi-tier security and surveillance. Chetla Agrani Club (Bishwaroope Bishwaroopini & Chariot Architecture) Chetla Agrani Club in Chetla, South Kolkata has an installation that features the theme "Bishwaroope Bishwaroopini" (The Universal Goddess in Her Cosmic Form), architecturally designed as a monumental 100-foot chariot (Rath) installation. Conceived by Priyadarshini Hakim and crafted by artist Sammya Brata Mullick, the concept seamlessly intertwines the cosmic Vishwaroop vision shown by Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the Mahabharata with the omnipresent maternal energy (Matri Shakti) of Goddess Durga. Santosh Mitra Square, Lebutala, Bowbazar Santosh Mitra Square in Bowbazar / Lebutala, Central Kolkata has a 2026 theme which is Vande Mataram, revisits major moments in India's freedom struggle. The pandal depicts events including the hanging of revolutionary Khudiram Bose and the Partition of 1947. A giant map of Bharat forms part of the exterior, making the installation a tribute to the country's history. The pandal also features a futuristic sci-fi rendition of Durga Maa....