DHUBRI, Oct 3 - With pandals showing different themes, specially designed idols and lighting, the people of Dhubi are all set to celebrate Durga Puja with great fervour and enthusiasm.
Many puja committees have started setting up pandals in a creative manner so as to attract pandal-hoppers. Local artists have designed various kinds of idols to showcase their skills.
Sanjiv Basak, a local artisan, has created a Durga idol using 150 kg of electric wire, which will be displayed at the puja mandap at Punch More, Green Nursery, while artisan Pradip Kumar Ghosh has created an miniature idol of Goddess Durga using soaps, worth just Rs 55. Ghosh, who has been coming up with different kinds of idols every year, will be exhibiting this miniature idol at the Sabuj Sanga Durga Puja Committee pandal at the Raja Prabhat Chandra Baruah playground. This pandal will be build in the style of a South Indian temple. The Sabuj Sanga Durga Puja Committee will be organising the puja for the 70th year.
Many puja committees have constructed their pandals to create social awareness. The No. 3 Baluchar Durga Puja Committee has put up a theme to create awareness against the negative aspects of mobile phone and harmful effects of the radiation that comes from it.
The pandal at the Railway Guard Colony will showcase recent incidents like the Balakot attack, Chandrayaan 2 and return of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.
Every year, the Santinagar Sarbajani Durga Puja Committee comes up with unique concepts to attract pandal-hoppers, and this year they are dedicating the pandal to the martyrs of the Pulwama attack.
Many pandals are coming up with replicas of temples. Binapani Puja Sanga is building a replica of the Ghanteswari Temple of Odisha by installing more than 5,000 bells, Shri Shri Hari Mandir Durga Puja Committee has created a temple with a Dhakeswari-themed idol, Jeuds Club at College Nagar has constructed a Ram Krishna Mandir. Other pandals like Ward No. 12, Rabindra Palli Sarbajani Durga Puja Committee, Ghosh Para Puja Committee and Seven Star Club have also come up with attractive pandals.
However, heavy rain since the few days has affected the puja preparations. �Continuous rain since the past few days has not only hampered the pandal construction but has also affected the puja shopping,� said Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee, a member of a puja committee, and added that this year, the price of the idols and other puja materials have also increased in Dhubri district.
Our Gauripur Correspondent adds: This time, 55 pujas will be celebrated in the greater Gauripur area. The puja committees have already started construction of puja pandals. Nabin Club of Gauripur will celebrate its silver jubilee. Attractive programmes have been arranged and a souvenir will also be published.
The Royal Durga Puja of the zamindar of erstwhile royal estate of Gauripur has already started since Mahalaya. The Bazar Durga Puja Committee will arrange competitions among the students of the area. Harisabha Durga Puja Committee will also publish a souvenir on the auspicious occasion of Durga puja.
The puja revellers are busy in shopping but due to inclement weather, they are a bit unhappy. The local administration has made security arrangements for the smooth celebration of the puja festival. Babul Paul and Manindra Malakar, two famous artisans of the locality are busy in giving the finishing touches to the idols of Harisabha temple and the Bazar Durga temple.
