Bhubaneswar: As the vibrant festival of Durga Puja is drawing near, preparations are in full swing at various puja pandals in the City. Artisans are working overtime to finish their theme-based structures as the countdown has begun for the autumn fest. Given the BMC guidelines, the pandals are going to be managed through eco-friendly methods. The organisers have ensured that no plastic materials are allowed inside the pandals and dustbins placed nearby. To ensure cleanliness, garbage collection vehicles will operate twice a day.
Information centres will be set up at all puja locations. The BMC has also constructed five temporary water bodies for immersion. Meanwhile, amid preparations, heavy rains lashed the City Sunday bringing down an under-construction pandal (light gate) at Rasulgarh Square. The Rasulgarh Durga Puja committee is coming up with a replica of Gujarat’s famous Swaminarayan temple which will be 80-foot-high and 120-foot-wide. As many as 171 pandals will come up in the City this year. Puja organisers are competing among themselves to catch more eyeballs and enlist increased footfall of visitors by creating replicas of world-famous monuments. Several prominent pandals, including at Saheed Nagar, Nayapalli, Bomikhal and Jharpada, are going to appear splendid and impressive with the organisers spending lakhs of rupees on decoration. Bomikhal Durga Puja Committee is erecting the replica of Punjab’s Jagatjit Palace.
Jagatjit Palace was the residence of the erstwhile Maharaja of the State of Kapurthala, Maharaja Jagatjit Singh, said a member Biswanath Jena. He said that 45 artisans from West Bengal are busy preparing the 80×120 structure which is scheduled to be completed before Sasthi.
Saheed Nagar Durga Puja Committee, this year, is not just focused on a particular iconic or landmark building or structure but is taking inspiration from several places such as Disney Castle, Arabic Nights and Hindus temples. Committee secretary Sachinanda Nayak said that unlike other pandals, we tried to combine different structures giving it a distinctive look.
Similarly, Nayapalli Durga Puja committee is focusing on eco-friendliness. The 140-ft wide and 80 ft high mandap is designed with eco-friendly materials such as Terrocotta and bamboo, said committee member Chittraranjan Behera. Baramunda Puja Commtee, in its 25th year of celebration, is erecting 65-ftX 120-ft structure on the theme of Umed Bhawan Palace, Kotah, Rajasthan, said committee president Ram Chandra Ransingh. Similarly, Old Station Bazaar Durga Puja Committee is preparing Cambodia Vishnu Temple’s replica.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP