Durga Puja or Durgotsav is a five-day celebration that begins on Shashti and ends on Vijayadashami. The five days are Shashti, Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami. Most of Puja pandals opened the pat (door) of their pandals on Saturday itself, however, some opened the pandals on Sunday.
As Durga Puja is celebrated after two years gap most of the puja pandals have set up huge pandals with idols of Goddess Durga with devotees flocking in large numbers to offer prayers to the goddess.
The Ranchi Railway Station Durga Puja Committee has depicted a mushroom cloud to spread the message of environmental damage caused by nuclear tests.
The Bakri Bazar Puja Committee in Upper Bazar, which is looked upon as one of Ranchi’s biggest pujas in terms of grandeur, budget and footfall this year is constructing the famous Iskcontemple of West Bengal. The puja pandal is more than 70 feet high and it is coming up at a budget of Rs 40 lakh. Also,a 19-ft-high idol of Durga is coming up with the frame, which will also have the idols of Ganesh, Laxmi, Kartikeya and Saraswati, and will span 35ft.
“Due to the restrictions imposed by the state government during Covid-19, the celebrations were low-key. This year, we are all set for a grand puja. The stage is going to be 40ft, so the idols are also big,” Ashok Choudhary, president of the committee, said.
The office-bearers of Satya Amar Lok puja committee on Harmu Road will also have an 18-ft-high idol this year. “We had to limit our idols to 5ft in the last couple of years due to restrictions. But there are no such curbs this year,” said a member of the committee.
Meanwhile, as per MET department predictions light to moderate rain lashed several parts of state on Sunday.
Rain is likely to play spoilsport in Jharkhand during Durga puja with the Met office predicting light to heavy showers from October 2 to October 4. The weather in the eastern state may change under the influence of cyclonic circulation, the Ranchi Met Centre said.
“The circulation is likely to turn into a low-pressure area by October 2 causing rain in major parts of Jharkhand. The system might impact Jharkhand till October 6. The state is likely to experience light to heavy rainfall till October 4,” said Abhishek Anand, in charge of Ranchi Meteorological Centre.
Also Ranchi police has made elaborate security arrangements with cops deployed at all major puja pandals.
