This Sharodiya, Novotel Goa Panjim is bringing the flavours, rituals and unmistakable warmth of a Bengali festive table to the west coast.
There are some celebrations you can recognise without seeing them.
The sound of the dhak. The fragrance of bhog. A table crowded with familiar dishes. The sweetness of mishti doi at the end of a long meal.
For Bengalis, Puja is as much a culinary experience as it is a cultural one. And this October, a little piece of that experience is travelling from Kolkata to Goa.
Novotel Goa Panjim is bringing back Kolkata Connection, a festive dining experience at The Food Exchange that celebrates the flavours of Bengali Puja, following the response to its first edition last year.
This time, the idea is simple: bring the spirit of Durgotsav to the table.
A Puja Feast, Served in Goa
The menu takes inspiration from the traditional Sarbojanin Puja table, moving through the comforting rhythms of bhog, Bengali classics and the more indulgent favourites of a traditional bhuribhoj.
It begins with shukto, the bittersweet Bengali classic that has long held a place in festive meals, followed by bhetki paturi and chanar kaliya.
The main course moves into more familiar territory with kosha mangsho, chingri malai curry, Basanti pulao and Kolkata chicken biryani—a spread that brings together mustard, spices, coconut and slow-cooked flavours that give Bengali cuisine its distinctive character.
And then, as every Bengali feast should, comes mishti mukh.
The meal concludes with mishti doi sandesh, bringing a familiar sweetness to the table and rounding off a menu built around nostalgia as much as flavour.
More Than a Meal
What makes festive food interesting is rarely just the food itself.
It is the memory attached to it.
Puja meals are often about crowded tables, recipes passed down through families, the anticipation of dishes that appear only at certain times of the year and the feeling of returning to something familiar.
Kolkata Connection takes that sentiment and places it somewhere unexpected: Goa.
The result is less about recreating Kolkata and more about allowing its festive food culture to travel—to introduce diners on the west coast to the flavours, rituals and abundance associated with Sharodiya celebrations.
A Taste of Bengal, in the Heart of Goa
From 16th to 20th October 2026, The Food Exchange at Novotel Goa Panjim will host the festive experience across lunch and dinner, inviting guests to experience a Bengali Puja table without leaving Goa.
Because sometimes the best way to experience a culture is through what it puts on the table.
Kolkata Connection
Where: The Food Exchange, Novotel Goa Panjim
Dates: 16–20 October 2026
Lunch: 1:00 PM–4:00 PM | ₹1,199++
Dinner: 7:30 PM–11:30 PM | ₹1,750++
This Sharodiya, Goa gets a taste of Kolkata—and the invitation is to arrive hungry.
