GUWAHATI, Oct 18 - Decoration of the puja pandals in the city is nearing completion and pandal hoppers can expect some wonderful experience this festive season.
Keeping in mind the attitudinal change of the citizens and the prevailing conditions in the society, the puja committees have come up with themes that highlight the need to do away with the ills standing in the way of real progress.
The Athgaon Sarvajanin Durga Puja Samity has chosen the special theme of black magic to entertain the devotees. The Athgaon puja budget is set at Rs 15 lakh and the light and sound effects would be special features. Security arrangements are being made by deploying private security and installing CCTVs.
The puja mandap of Guwahati Sarbajanin Durga Puja Samiti (Latasil) has been designed in the shape of the Vaishno Devi temple and the idol will be placed 22 feet above the hills. The budget of the puja is projected to be around Rs 15 lakh. Cultural programmes like Purulia and Gatipua dance will be one of the major attractions. Local artistes will perform Nagara Naam during the puja days.
The theme for the Rest Camp Kalibari Durga Utsav Samity 2015 is the Victoria Memorial of Kolkata. The committee will unveil the festivals that are being celebrated by the citizens throughout the year. A special attraction will be decorative lights from Chandannagar, Kolkata. A three-day cultural programme will also be organised to provide a platform to the local artistes. The budget is to the tune of Rs 24 lakh.
The theme for Nayantara Club Durga Puja Committee is �adarsha gaon� (ideal village), which will depict the culture of the village. �The theme has been taken to introduce the rural culture to the city people. Such themes will make the youths familiar with village life of our State. There will be a pond, a dheki and the idol will be dressed up in traditional mekhala-chadar which is hand-woven. The jewellery too will be traditional,� said a functionary of the committee.
The mandap of Santipur Sluice Gate Sarbajanin Durga Puja Samiti is being prepared on the replica of south Indian temples. Above the mandap, a gigantic diya and a sankha will be placed and the lamp will be lit electrically. It will be an eco-friendly mandap as no fibre or plastic will be used. There will be a lighting set-up in the middle of the water. Lakshminath Bezbaroa�s famous play Tejimola and the slaying of Mahihaxur will be portrayed during all the days of Durga Puja. The budget for the puja is Rs 16 lakh. The lights will be brought from Digha.
At the mandap of Nabin Sangha Durga Puja Samity (Rehabari), the main attraction is the idol. According to secretary of the committee Rana Nath, effort is being made to give a spiritual experience to the devotees and that the idols will be decked up in traditional attire. The budget for the puja is around Rs 6 lakh.
A 50-foot Assamese sarai will be the main attraction at the mandap of Kahilipara Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samity. The committee will also showcase the rich heritage of the State.
Sri Sri Durga Puja Committee, Sector 2 Refinery Township Noonmati, will have an eco-friendly theme, �Save the birds along with migratory birds�. Assam being a State rich in flora and fauna, the puja committee will create awareness regarding conservation and preservation of birds in the State.
