Durga Puja Community Celebration Planning: Hall, Stage, Bhog

Durga Puja is the biggest festival in the Bengali calendar. Over about five days in the fall, communities honor the goddess Durga with a decorated idol, daily prayers, flower offerings, shared meals and evenings of music, dance and drama. Dates follow the lunar calendar, so check this year's date.

In and around Chicago, many Bengali associations rent a hall, school gym, community center or banquet space for the days of the puja. A hall is a blank room. This guide helps committees turn it into a pandal, a dining hall and a theater, and plan what to rent.

Practices differ among communities, families and priests, so use this as a base and adapt it to your committee's tradition.

Plan the three zones

The pandal and stage

The pandal is the decorated space where the idol sits. In a hall, it is often built as a stage with a backdrop, fabric, lights and flowers. A priest sits near the idol, and the main puja happens here.

• Stage size. A 12 x 16 foot platform is a common size for a pandal plus a small area for the priest. A bigger stage helps if the cultural program uses dance or drama. See stage and riser sizes and staging rentals.
• Backdrop. Draping and pipe and drape can frame the idol. See pipe and drape uses and sizes.
• Lighting. Soft, warm light on the idol and bright light for the stage. See lighting rentals and corporate stage lighting basics.
• Fire and smoke. Incense, lamps (diyas) and dhunuchi (a clay incense burner used in the evening aarti) make smoke. Check with the hall about candles, open flame and smoke detectors. See candles at venues and fire code rules.

Rows of chairs

For the evening program, set chairs facing the stage with a center aisle. Rule of thumb: 8 to 10 square feet per seat in theater style, which includes the aisles. See how many chairs fit theater seating and classroom vs theater seating.

• Seat older guests and families with young kids near the aisle.
• Keep the first row a few feet from the stage.
• Reserve a few seats at the front for the priest, committee and the elders.
• Leave floor space at the side for guests who prefer to sit on the floor during the prayers, as many do.

The bhog meal

Bhog is the offering to the goddess, which becomes the lunch shared by everyone. A typical bhog meal has khichuri, mixed vegetable, labra, chutney, fried vegetables and payesh or another sweet. It is vegetarian. Menus vary by community.

Serving hundreds of guests is the real task.

• Serve in shifts. For 200 guests, two seatings of 100 each is easier than one big rush. Many committees serve on the floor in rows (pangat style), on long tables or buffet.
• Long tables. An 8-foot banquet table seats 8. For 100 per shift, plan 12 to 14 tables. Add 2 to 3 more for serving.
• Volunteers. Plan 1 volunteer for every 15 to 20 guests to serve, refill and clear. See how to delegate event tasks to volunteers.
• Equipment. Large pots, serving spoons, warming pans, hand-washing stations and trash bins. See catering equipment rentals, buffet line flow and serving speed and how many chafing dishes for a buffet.

These are rules of thumb, and the right count depends on your hall and how you serve.

The cultural program

Evenings usually include songs, dance, drama and sometimes a children's program. Plan the stage, sound and seating around that.

• Sound. Microphones for the emcee, a monitor for performers and speakers pointed toward the audience. See AV and sound rentals and microphone types for events.
• Backstage. A curtained area or a side room for costume changes. Pipe and drape does this well.
• Kids. Give young performers a place to wait with a parent.
• Dance floor. If you plan dhunuchi dancing or a social evening, keep an open floor near the dining area.

Hall tips for a Chicago committee

Most community groups rent a hall for the whole festival, or one hall for the main days. The right place depends on your guest count, parking and kitchen. See church hall and community center event planning and community center event rentals in the Chicago suburbs.

Questions to ask the hall:

1. What is the fire-code capacity, and does it include chairs and tables?
2. Can we use incense, lamps and a dhunuchi? Where is the smoke detector?
3. Is there a kitchen, and can we bring in our own caterer or home cooks?
4. When can we load in, and what is the latest load-out?
5. Can we leave the pandal up for several days?
6. Where do guests park, and is there step-free access?

Also see navratri garba night planning for another fall festival hosted in halls, and religious events for the types of gatherings we help with.

What most hosts find out too late

• Halls book far ahead for fall weekends. Weddings take many halls from September to October. Book the hall first, then the rentals. Our team can check the date with the rental companies once you have the hall.
• Multi-day rentals need a plan. A five-day festival means the items stay put. Ask the rental company for the cost and the pickup day.
• Count at delivery. Count chairs, tables and serving pieces when they arrive, and photograph the room before setup.
• Check doors and ramps. Chicago halls with stairs or a narrow door may need carts. Measure first.
• Shoes. Many guests remove shoes before entering the pandal. Plan a shoe area with racks near the door.

Plan your puja rentals

Book a free 15-minute planning call and we will help you list chairs, tables, a stage and serving equipment for your hall. Or get a quote with your dates and guest count. We check the dates with the rental companies for you.