Artisans write poems with brush strokes for puja goers read them

GUWAHATI, Sept 25: The puja committees in Guwahati do whatever floats the puja-goers’ boat. In sync with this tagline, Pandu Rest Camp Kalibari Sarbajanin Durga Puja has its pandal aboard a boat.  

The theme is based on the Hindu astrology that says that the Goddess is coming to the puja aboard a boat this time around, and she is set to go back riding a horse.  The puja committee with a budget of Rs 25 lakh with all artisans and pandal makers from Kolkata is going to hold its 69th puja. The decorators have been able to depict a ‘paradise of birds’ on earth. Even though the decorators are not ornithologists, as artists, they are no less worried over the falling avian population on this earth, including some endangered ones. They have been able to convey their feelings on the falling bird population with their brush strokes. Through their artistic excellence, the decorators have been able to create an ambience of birds chirping on the sky above the puja pandal.     

Secretary of the puja committee, Tapas ha, said: “Our thrust this year is on lighting – a single bulb can emit twelve different colours of light. We’ve felt the impact of GST while raising funds for the puja. Hike in prices has also had its impact on the puja. We’ve as many as 25 CCTVs installed in the pandal for security.”

The small budget (Rs 9 lakh) Pandu Cabin Tiniali Byobasayee Santha Puja, third this year, has relied on local artisans and decorators. Apart from the main idol, this puja committee will show a 45-foot-tall idol of the Goddess with thermocol. Ra Das, joint secretary of the puja committee, said: “Imposition of GST in the State has its impact on the Durga Puja.”

The American Colony Sarbajanin Durga Puja, also at Pandu in the city, is holding their 62nd Durga Puja this year with a budget of Rs 20 lakh. Its secretary Debabrata Dev said: “This is a common scene in Guwahati that all materials used in puja are left behind as garbage, adding woes to the residents. However, in order to get rid of such an evil, we’ve erected a permanent temple here with people’s contribution. As usual we’ve started the puja from the onset of varatri. Nowadays the Durga puja is all about celebrations, and spirituality has been badly beaten. People are still to be aware of GST.”

The Kamakhya Colony Sarbajanin Durgitsav Puja Samiti is going to hold 55th Durga Puja this year with a budget or Rs 12.50 lakh. 

This year as many as 79 Durga Pujas have been organized under Jalukabari police station area alone this year.