The residents of Daltonganj are leaving no stone unturned to make the 100 years of puja celebrations here a grand and memorable one, said the secretary of the centenary celebration committee, Kaushik Mallick.
From embellishment of the goddess to the decoration all are going to be a slice of beauty this puja time, said Mallick. Fund is no crunch, he said. Every one is pooling in whatever one's capacity to donate is he reminded.
For the embellishment of the goddess costumes have come from Kumhaar Toli in Kolkata the big bazar of all the puja's materials there. Gold ornamentswill adorn the goddess while the remaining one the Asur and the lion will have the fierce look.
At durga baree in Daltonganj the faithful offer in gold real gold as rolled gold is not permissible said the idol making artiste Sukumar Paul. The gold so offered are well taken care of. Once the 9-day puja is over the gold offerings are locked in a bank's locker.
According to Paul, the eyes of the goddess durga here in the Durga Baree are of gold.
Special effects are being given to the idol of Asur said Paul as his face feature forceps are enlarged to make it a symbol of evil crushed by goddess durga.
About 1,000 Kg of straw are being used here for the idols. The straw is no local but bought in Ranchi and transported by road said Kaushik. However, the clay the idols are made of is local and collected from a dangerous dam called Kacharwa dam in Daltonganj's outskirt.
About a dozen artistes are working in Durga Baree 24x7. Noble citizens who understand the sanctity of this puja prefer coming over here. The Durga Baree has been given a bright colour wash. Tractor load of stone dust is being spread to make the path comfortable.