Guwahati: The flood situation in Assam, rhino killings in Kaziranga, witch-hunting and Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption are some of the key themes of Puja pandals across greater Guwahati area this year.
Major issues confronting the nation like petrol price hike, diesel, LPG subsidy cap and subsequently of essential commodities also find a display among the 475 pandals across the city here. Floods in Kaziranga and the recent spate of poaching of rhinos will be portrayed at the 64-year-old Rest Camp Kalibari, a prominent Puja pandal in Pandu area of the city. He said the committee had over the years made continued efforts to make people aware of recent events in the state, across the country and even around the world through pandal decorations.
The Geetanagar Sarbojanin Durga Puja has decided to portray Gandhian Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption and would also make a replica of Parliament House.
“Everyone is now questioning the role of people’s representatives with corruption charges against many of them. Through our pandals, we are trying to portray that only those politicians should be elected who are dedicated to the cause of social welfare,” Rajiv Kalita, a member of the Geetanagar Puja Committee said. Festivals are also opportunities to spread awareness about issues of contemporary significance, he said.
The Lakhi Mandir Puja committee would depict the scourge of witch-hunting in an attempt to end the gruesome practice. “This is a good medium of creating awareness as more than 12 lakh people visit our pandal and the project will also have light and sound effects and a message delivered to create awareness among people to stop the practice,” Bhagya Ram Terang, the creator of the art work of the pandal, said.
The Bhootnath Puja Committee will highlight issues like female foeticide, atrocities on women and the effects of inflation on the common person. Kamakhya Colony Sarbajanani Durga Puja Committee, which celebrates its golden jubilee this year, has decided to invite over a hundred orphans and differently-abled children and celebrate the festival with them.
“We have also decided to organise a function to pay musical tribute to Bhupen Hazarika and Indira Raisom Goswami and would also contribute our bit to help flood-affected people of the state by collecting donations from people who visit the pandal,” the puja committee’s general secretary, Subir Ghosh, said.
In another prominent Puja of the city, the Dispur Sarbojanin Durga Puja Committee, women have taken the organisational lead with the committee comprising only women from different communities and even religion.
“Women are responsible for everything — from ordering the idol to collection of donations and even the driver of the committee and the cook who makes the ‘bhog’ are women. We, however, failed to get a female priest though we tried hard to get one,” general secretary of the committee, Kasturi Das Senapati, said.
Celebrations in Tripura is also grand wherein we have the queen who fainted at the sight of ten-armed Durga to Ashura, the demon, pleading with the goddess to slay him, several stories are recounted as part of the puja celebrations.
At Samhati, a 70-year-old club at Ramnagar, the idol of Durga towers 52 feet high as also her progeny. Another leading club, Shanti Kami Sangha, depicts Ali Baba and the 40 thieves complete with 3D sound at their pandal.
According to data available with the Agartala Municipal Council and 15 nagar Panchayat authorities, 2,159 community pujas are being organised in the state this year, including 81 new ones. Of them, over 1,000 pujas are being held here in the state capital. (PTI)