Durga Puja celebrations have picked up pace in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack with people thronging the pandals to seek blessings of Goddess Durga.
More than 300 major puja pandals and innumerable smaller ones in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar have come alive with stunning decorations and sparkling lights. People are moving from pandal to pandal to seek and admire the puja decorations created on different themes. People are also seen shopping in malls and enjoying delicacies at eateries across the twin cities.
“We have mostly chosen themes of different tourist places so that people can be made aware of the places of tourist importance,” said Nayapalli Durga Puja Committee president Pabitra Mohan Behera.
The Nayapalli Durga Puja committee has chosen to build a replica of the Janaki Temple of Napal. Janaki Mandir is a Hindu temple of Janakpur in Mithila region of Nepal, dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Sita, informed Behera.
A total of 68 artisans from Kolkata have made the replica of the temple, while the idol is 19-foot tall, informed Behera. Ravan Podi Utsav would be the main feature of Nayapalli Durga Puja with 70-foot tall Rabana this year.
“We are also giving importance to crowd discipline and for this, we have used CCTV footage cameras,” said chief adviser Naba Kishore Behera.
For crowd management and safety of visitors, around 200 volunteers have been engaged here. Scores of transgenders also have been engaged as volunteers, informed Behera.
“We would give priority to the old and physically disabled people for their darshan,” Behera added.
The Rasulgarh Durga Puja Committee has brought a Chudi Mahal for the city people. The pandal in Rasulgarh is made up of broken bangles and small mirrors.
Committee treasurer Sridhar Baliarsingh said, “We have made the pandal based on a new theme. Artisans from West Bengal have made the 120-foot long and 80-foot width pandal. Around 45 artisans have engaged in the work.”
For discipline, we have fitted 30 CCTVs and moving cameras and more than 100 volunteers have been engaged to control the crowd,” Sridhar maintained.
The Baramunda Durga Puja Committee touched its 17th edition this year. It has come with the theme of the King Palace of Thailand of 80-foot length and 120-foot width.
Around 40 artisans from West Bengal were engaged to construct the pandal. The 16-foot tall idol of Maa Durga was installed by the 10 artisans of Marshaghai in Kendrapada district, informed secretary Narendra Sahu.
The city people can witness Maheshwari temple of Bahubali at Bomikhal. The 80-foot long pandal has been erected by Cuttack artisans. The specialty of the pandal here is its lED light decoration.
Puja committee president Parsuram Mohanty informed that the budget of the Puja is about Rs 32 lakh. Around 60 volunteers were engaged. A total of 20 CCTVs would be installed for the safety and discipline purpose, Mohanty said.
City people would get a chance to witness Maya Mahal, an amalgamation of some temples of India, in Jharapada.
“We have engaged 200 volunteers for discipline purpose and 16 CCTV cameras for security purposes,” informed president Sridhar Jena. Raban Podi Utsav is special at Jharpada, he added.
Meanwhile, to ensure an incident-free Dussehra, the Commissionerate Police have tightened security in the twin cities.
Police Commissioner YB Khurania said elaborate arrangements have been made for vehicular traffic management and maintenance of law and order situation during the puja and idol immersion.
While police aid posts were set up at different places, patrolling also has been intensified. The Quick Reaction Team (QRT) and Striking Force have also been stationed, he added.
To keep a close watch on anti-social elements, CCTV cameras have been installed at strategic points, including at the puja pandals. Surveillance is also being maintained in crowded market places, hotels, restaurants and malls, he stated.
The Indian Meteorological Department has forecast rainfall in the wake of an upper air cyclonic circulation formed over the Bay of Bengal. “The rainfall would continue till October 10. However, there would be moderate rainfall with intervals,” said Bhubaneswar Met Office Director Sarat Chandra Sahu.