SILCHAR, Oct 6 - With only a day left for the Durga Puja festivities to kick start, the shopping spree among people in Silchar seems to have reached a new high. And matching notes with the contagious intensity, the clay artistes and those engaged in decorating the pandals are seen busy giving final touches to their preparations.
However, despite lukewarm promises by the PWD to make the potholed roads traffic-friendly before the festival, most of the roads have been left with deep bruises as people gear up for the grand homecoming of the Goddess.
The cloth merchants of the city, on the other hand, are a touch disappointed regarding the sales as they blamed the bad roads for a much less gathering of customers, particularly from the rural areas.
The puja pandal of Dakshin Bilpar Puja Committee was inaugurated on the night of Chaturthi and a few other pandals including the tallest idol of Durga of the Satsang Ashram Road Puja Committee were inaugurated on Thursday.
This year all roads will lead to the Puja pandal of Paschim Ambikapur Durga Puja Committee in Silchar. The Puja which has been organised at the premises of the Durga Shankar Patshala over the years is stepping into its 50th year and with only a day to go for the festival; the whole vicinity has been given a bright and dazzling look. A number of events have been lined up for the celebration this year which includes special focus on decorations, pandals, idol etc.
�The Puja premise has been divided into two parts where one part will have a pandal conceptualized on the design of a south Indian temple. The major attraction will be 14-foot idols of gods and goddesses which are completely paper made. Other part of the premises shall have a 45-foot dancing water fountain and Disney characters for the kids,� said sculptor Pradip Acharjee. Subhrendu Shekhar Dutta, president of the Puja committee informed that some members from the first committee which organised Durga Puja here shall also join the celebrations. While in the words of Pradip Das, secretary of the Puja committee as many as 50 children will lit lamps and 50 women from the locality shall blow conches to welcome the goddess. Women drummers from Kolkata have been also flown in to add more buzz to the jubilee celebrations.
�We have made elaborate arrangements to celebrate this landmark occasion. We shall have LED lights depicting environmental issues and a fair will be organised within the Puja premises as well,� Das said. He was quick to add that they will carry Goddess Durga on their shoulders from the Puja pandal to the immersion ground on Vijaya Dashami.
On the other hand, harping on its theme-based Puja, the All Medical Sales Puja Committee is ready with an environment-friendly Durga idol. �Since past seven years, we have been presenting new themes during Durga Puja. From glass pieces to warehouse equipment, various kinds of materials were used to design the idols of goddess Durga. This year we have decided to work with a large number of vegetable seeds to make the idol of the goddess, said Mithun Roy, a member of the Puja committee.
Meanwhile, happiness and joy is vibrating aloud at Barada Bhawan in Gopalganj area of the city. The family of septuagenarian Gouranga Chandra Paul is anxiously waiting to bring home Mother Goddess all over again after 41 years. �I have heard about the Puja at my maternal family held for the first time back in 1976. This year we are organising it once again and I am thrilled,� reacted Swaraj Paul, grandson of Gouranga Chandra. Interestingly, idol makers Gopal Paul and Gopi Paul who are at close proximity to Barada Bhawan are also excited. �Our father Gouranga Paul had made the idol for the Puja 41 years ago and now we have the opportunity to make the idol,� Gopi Paul said with a rise smile.
Security measures have been heightened across the district ahead of the festival. Cachar SP Rajveer Singh has said that besides CCTV cameras and emergency police points, mobile police teams shall also be on duty during the Puja days. The SP has urged people to remain alert while enjoying the festivities and cooperate with the police to avert any unpleasant incident.
