GUWAHATI, Oct 8 � With the sweltering summer days quickly giving way to the fine festive season, the capital city is getting ready to celebrate Durga Puja with all the pomp and gaiety.
For the different Durga Puja committees in the capital city, the theme of the pandal decoration is a very important aspect of the overall celebrations.
The Shantipur Sluice Gate Durga Puja Committee that has registered for the Prakriti Award 2012 or Best Environment Friendly Durga Puja of Guwahati Award instituted by the Eco Tourism Society of North East has selected Buddhist Monastery of Thailand as its theme this year.
Established in the year 1996, the Shantipur Sluice Gate Durga Puja Committee will decorate the entire pandal with natural leaves and thermocol. And the color of the pandal will be a golden hue. The Committee has also decided to give a very unique touch to the idol of Maa Durga, as there will be fountains and fresh flowers behind the idol. The committee has already made proper arrangements for CCTV cameras, dustbins, fire extinguisher, dedicated volunteers etc. The main attraction of the Puja will be a display of decorative lights in an around the Puja Pandal.
The choice of the Nayantara Durga Puja Committee is a Palace of Thailand, where the atmosphere of a typical palace from Thailand will be portrayed. The open area of the palace will be decorated by using lights specially purchased from Thailand. In the entrance, there will be dragons of huge size, making the atmosphere more thrilling.
The Geetanagar Durga Puja Committee established in the year 1976 will highlight the Parliament of India this year. Accordingly, the entire puja pandal will take the shape of Parliament. Located in a beautiful field, the puja committee members are hopeful to attract huge crowd during the Durga puja celebrations. The uniqueness of this puja is that the committee has decided to go for eco friendly idol of Maa Durga and Sandhi Puja.
On the other hand, the theme of the Guwahati Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee, Latasil will be a yacht. Durga Maa�s idol will be placed inside the yacht. Local artists are busy in decorating the yacht since the last two months.
The Kalibari Rest Camp Durga Puja committee that has completed several decades will recreate the temple magic of India. Established in the year 1948, the Kalibari Rest Camp Durga Puja committee will portray the temple structures of West Bengal, South India, North India and Eastern part of India. Also inside the temple they will depict the recent incidents like, poaching in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), flood and village life style of Assam. Along with eco friendly idol of Goddess Durga, cultural programme during all the four days will be the attraction of this Durga Puja.
Some of the puja committees will showcase life and its myriad pictures that end with old age. The Bholanath Durga Puja Committee has selected old age home as its theme this year. The committee decided on this issue to drive home the point that everyone should love and respect their parents always and that no one achieves real success in life by depriving the elders and parents.
Another committee, the Bishnupur Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee, established in the year 1951, has selected a theme that is related with Lord Shiva meditating at Kailash Hill. The interior of the cave will be depicted as Shakti Aradhana and the idol is a unique work of sculpture. The entire set is with plaster of paris which is again eco friendly. The main aim of the committee is to highlight unity and strength through its theme.
It needs to be mentioned here that the height of the Lord Shiva statue is 62feet which is on the way of being completed by the students of Govt College of Art and Craft. The committee members are very proud with the work and claim that they are the first to depict such a tall idol of Lord Shiva in entire northeast and eastern region. The puja committee members said that it will not only be devotion that will be the signature of the festival, but that there will be a stunning display of arts and sculpture.
Another committee, the New Field Durga Puja Committee, Paltan Bazaar, established in the year 1936 has been celebrating Durga Puja by adopting various kinds of themes reflecting the culture of North East India. This year the entire pandal will be decorated by using earthen pots. The uniqueness of the puja will be decoration of Goddess Durga idol with gold ornaments, worth Rs 18 lakh.