Guwahati: From Brahmaputra Valley to Barak Valley, Assam’s festive landscape expanded like never before this Durga Puja, with 9,002 community pandals turning the state into a vast canvas of worship and celebration — the highest number recorded in the state.CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the figure on Sunday, attributing the unprecedented scale of the celebrations to peace, harmony and mutual trust in the state.“9,002 Durga Puja pandals: Assam’s highest ever. This reflects the peace, trust and harmony that prevail across Assam today,” Sarma said in a social media post.He thanked Puja committees and other stakeholders for working to ensure the celebrations.“My heartfelt gratitude to every Puja committee, volunteer & the police and public personnel working day and night to make this possible. Joi Maa Durga,” he added.The 2026 tally is 481 higher than last year’s 8,521 and 621 more than the 8,381 recorded in 2024.The rise highlights the expanding reach of the festival across Assam, with communities organising celebrations in localities, historic temples and smaller settings, including housing societies.Favourable weather added to the festive atmosphere as celebrations spread across lower and upper Assam, northern districts and Barak Valley. The festivities featured days of worship, cultural activities and public gatherings.The latest figures make 2026 a landmark year for Durga Puja in Assam and reflect the growing scale of one of the state’s most widely celebrated festivals.
