IIHM Durgotsav 2026: Celebrating Culture Beyond the Classroom
“At IIHM, we don’t just learn from textbooks. We learn from our culture, our traditions and the people around us.”
Durga Puja is more than a festival. It is an emotion, a celebration of togetherness and a beautiful expression of Bengal’s cultural identity. At the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), Kolkata, Durgotsav 2026 brings these values alive on campus today, giving students an opportunity to experience tradition, teamwork and hospitality beyond the classroom.
As the campus welcomes Ma Durga, students transform the Global Campus into a traditional thakur dalan, reminiscent of old Kolkata’s heritage homes where the Goddess is worshipped during the festive season. Beautiful red-and-white alpona designs adorn the Red Portico, creating an atmosphere filled with colour, warmth and festive spirit.
“We want our campus to feel like a traditional Bengali home welcoming Ma Durga. Every decoration, every design and every little detail reflects our love for the festival,” reflects the spirit of the students’ preparations.
Welcoming Ma Durga with Tradition and Joy
The arrival of Ma Durga fills the campus with music, dance and devotion. Students welcome the Goddess with cultural performances, while lady faculty members perform the traditional boron ceremony. The sounds of shankhadhwani (conch blowing) and uludhwani add to the festive atmosphere.
Dressed in red-and-white sarees and traditional kurta-pyjamas, students come together to celebrate the occasion with joy and enthusiasm.
“This is what makes Durga Puja special. We come together, celebrate our traditions and create memories that stay with us long after the festival ends,” captures the excitement of the celebration.
The occasion is not simply about decorations or rituals. It is about understanding the cultural stories, customs and shared emotions that make festivals meaningful.
Learning Beyond Textbooks: The IIHM Pedagogy
At IIHM, education goes beyond academic lessons. Hospitality is about understanding people, respecting differences, working together and creating experiences that make others feel welcome. Festivals such as Durgotsav provide students with an opportunity to practise these values in real life.
“In a classroom, we learn about hospitality. During celebrations like Durgotsav, we experience it,” reflects the essence of this learning approach.
Planning decorations, organising performances, coordinating with peers and welcoming guests encourage students to develop communication, teamwork, creativity and event management skills. They also learn how attention to detail, cultural awareness and a sense of belonging can transform an occasion into a memorable experience.
This is the essence of the IIHM pedagogy: learning by doing, understanding through participation and growing through shared experiences.
Empathy at the Heart of EmpaTech
The theme for IIHM Durgotsav 2026, “Human Empathy Powering Artificial Intelligence”, reflects the institute’s EmpaTech philosophy — bringing empathy and technology together.
“Technology can make things faster and smarter, but empathy makes us human. We must always remember the people behind every experience,” is a message that resonates with the spirit of the celebration.
As students explore an increasingly technology-driven hospitality industry, Durgotsav reminds them that human connection remains essential. Respect, kindness, inclusion and an understanding of different cultures remain at the heart of meaningful hospitality.
One Campus, Many Cultures, One Community
The celebration brings together students from IIHM, IIHS, IIPC and the Global Chef Professional Programme (GCPP). Young people from different backgrounds and communities share the same festive space, demonstrating how cultural celebrations bring people together across religious and social differences.
“We may come from different backgrounds, but when we celebrate together, we become one community,” expresses the inclusive spirit of Durgotsav at IIHM.
This sense of belonging connects with IIHM’s student-first vision for 2037 — building an educational environment where every student feels included, participates actively and develops the confidence to become a responsible professional.
Carrying the Spirit Beyond the Festival
IIHM Durgotsav 2026 celebrates Bengal’s heritage, student creativity and the values that shape hospitality professionals. It reminds students that education is not limited to lectures, assignments or examinations. It also comes from participating in traditions, appreciating diversity and learning to work with people.
Because at IIHM, the journey of becoming a hospitality professional is also a journey of becoming more empathetic, culturally aware and human.
This Durgotsav, students do more than welcome Ma Durga to the campus. They celebrate the spirit of togetherness, discover the value of learning beyond textbooks and bring the IIHM philosophy of empathy to life.
