From agomoni melodies to contemporary Bengali film songs and new releases by Bangladeshi musicians, music remains part of Durga Puja celebrations, bringing together generations of listeners while the beats of the dhak and dhol keep the festive spirit alive.

As Durga Puja celebrations take place across Bangladesh and West Bengal this October, familiar songs are setting the mood at homes, cultural programmes and pandals. For many Bengalis, the arrival of the festival is as much an auditory experience as a visual one, with music evoking childhood memories, family gatherings and evenings spent visiting decorated pandals.

One of the songs associated with the season is Bajlo Tomar Alor Benu, originally sung by Supriti Ghosh, with lyrics by Bani Kumar and music composed by Pankaj Kumar Mullick. Associated with the Mahalaya tradition, the song captures the anticipation surrounding Goddess Durga's arrival. Its popularity has inspired newer renditions, including one by Debolinaa Nandy.

The tradition of agomoni gaan, songs celebrating Uma's homecoming to her parental home, remains part of Puja's musical identity. Rooted in Bengali devotional and folk traditions, these songs portray Durga as a daughter returning to her family for the festival.

Tracks such as Hein Go Ma Durga, sung by Lopamudra Mitra, and Aji Shankhe Shankhe Mangal Gao, performed by Chandrabali Rudra Dutta, feature in seasonal playlists.

Durga Puja's musical traditions have a place in Bangladesh, where local musicians and cultural performers contribute to celebrations through devotional songs, original compositions and live performances.

In 2020, Bangladeshi composer Foad Nasser Babu composed music for a Durga Puja song for the first time in his career. Written by Sumon Saha, the song featured eight singers: Alok Kumar Sen, Champa Banik, Debolina Sur, Sandipan Das, Haimanti Rakshit Das, Apurba Opu, Abanti Deb Sithi and Monti Saha. 

The composition sought refuge in the goddess amid injustice, oppression and violence against women, connecting the festival's devotional traditions with contemporary concerns.

Bangladeshi music releases bring new songs to the celebrations. This year, production house Studio Joya has released original songs for Sharadiya Durga Puja, including Durga Amar Moner Kotha Jane, featuring Kritoggota Saha, and Esechhe Ma Durga. The former was written, composed and arranged by Rajan Saha, while the latter was written by Dr ASM Asaduzzaman, with Rajan Saha handling its composition and musical direction. Studio Joya released Joy Ma Durga as part of its festive offerings.

Beyond recorded music, Bangladesh's cultural programmes provide a platform for local singers and traditional performers. At a government-organised Sharadiya cultural festival in Dhaka in 2025, singers including Anima Roy, Debolina Sur Dola, Ritu Raj and Sinthi Saha performed alongside 50 dhakis, bringing traditional percussion into the celebrations.

These performances and releases show how Bangladesh's music scene contributes to the festival's soundscape, combining devotional traditions with contemporary songwriting and local artistic expression.

No Puja playlist feels complete without the sound of the dhak. Its rolling beats, often accompanied by the metallic clang of the kashor, signal the festive season and lend energy to rituals and celebrations.

The instrument's significance extends beyond songs that borrow its rhythm. Live dhak performances accompany rituals and draw crowds into the festivities.

In Bangladesh, dhakis remain part of Puja celebrations, even as the musicians face the challenges of sustaining a traditional art and earning a livelihood.

The traditional sound has found its way into Bengali music. Dhak Baaja Kashor Baaja, sung by Shreya Ghoshal and composed by Jeet Gannguli, brings the percussion associated with Puja into a celebration of the goddess's arrival. Another track, Dhak Baaja Komor Nacha, from the Bengali film Switzerland, features Jeet, Akriti Kakar and Dev Negi.

Recorded versions capture only part of the experience. The sound of a dhak played live in a crowded pandal, alongside conch shells and ceremonial bells, remains a feature of the festival.

Bengali cinema has added to the festival's soundtrack, with songs becoming favourites during pandal-hopping and gatherings with friends.

Abhijeet Bhattacharya's Dhaker Taale, from the film Parineeta, is one such track. Elo Je Maa, from Challenge 2, features the voices of Abhijeet Bhattacharya and Shreya Ghoshal, bringing together film music and the excitement of Durga's arrival.

Other songs, including Monali Thakur's Dugga Elo and Sunidhi Chauhan's Bolo Dugga Elo, add to the festive repertoire. Bishorjon, from the film Sanjhbati, features Shaan, with music and lyrics by Anupam Roy.

These songs reflect the changing ways in which Puja is celebrated. Newer releases sit alongside older favourites, combining melodies with cultural references and making them suited to festive playlists and public celebrations.

The music of Durga Puja brings together generations of singers, composers and listeners. From Supriti Ghosh's rendition of Bajlo Tomar Alor Benu to the work of contemporary artists in Bangladesh and West Bengal, each generation adds its interpretation to the season.

The festival's musical identity is not defined by recorded songs alone. It lives in devotional singing, the communal energy of cultural performances and the sound of the dhak echoing through the pandals.

As new songs find their way into festive playlists, the dhak and dhol remain part of the experience. Across Bangladesh and West Bengal, their beats connect contemporary celebrations with a shared Bengali musical heritage.

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