Stage set for Friday's Kolkata Durga carnival

Dollops of colour and diverse themes would be on display as big ticket community puja committees take part in the annual Durga Puja carnival slated to be held here on Friday.

As many as 75 prominent community pujas from across the city and adjoining districts will participate part in the spectacular road show organised on the arterial Indira Gandhi Sarani (erstwhile Red Road) - the venue of the annual Republic Day parade.

The three hour carnival, a brain child of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, would be held three days after Bijoya Dashami - that marks the formal end of eastern India's biggest festival.

In a bid to soak in the last bit of festive spirit, thousands of people including foreigners are expected to congregate on both sides of the road while lakhs across the globe would stay glued to the television screens and the webcast to watch the innovative immersion procession.

Tight security arrangements would be in place for the carnival, which is set to attract the creme de la creme of Kolkata.

Senior police officers on Thursday spent considerable time reviewing the security arrangements. Around 3,000 police personnel, including commandos, Special Task Force of the city police, members of Rapid Action Force (RAF), Quick Response Team (ORT), and the Bomb Squad will be present in and around the venue to prevent any untoward incidents.

The central theme would be 'rangamatir bangla' (red soil of Bengal). In consonance with that, the main stage resembles the red soil in complexion.IANS