TURA: Cleanliness is the prevailing theme this Durga Puja in Garo Hills as several puja committees are propagating Swachh Bharat.
Arup Nag, general secretary of the Central Puja Committee in Garo Hills said since ‘peace and cleanliness’ is the theme this year, adequate measures are taken to keep pandals and their surroundings clean.
The pandals were opened to visitors on Sashthi. Security arrangements have been made to manage the crowd. There are as many as 24 puja mandaps in the town with the newest member being the Basfor puja committee of Anandamath locality in Tura bazar.
The Nepali Durga Puja mandap at Sepoy Colony that is celebrating its 131st year has recorded the maximum footfall so far. But many puja committees say the number of visitors has gone down this time as many people are out of town holidaying. “Although the numbers are small yet there is a feeling of joy and happiness. We are expecting the numbers to rise on the last day of the celebrations on Monday,” said Nag.
Adding to the revelry is that employees of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council have received four months’ salary.
Visitors flocking the puja venues include both locals and non locals alike as each puja mandap display colorful decorations and the best of lighting to illuminate their mandaps in the expectation of drawing the biggest crowds.
Trading has been on the rise particularly since Friday with hundreds of businessmen and traders from the non-tribal community being able to sell their wares following the release of four months’ salaries to the several thousand GHADC employees.
The Durga Puja celebrations come to a glittering finale on Tuesday afternoon when the idols of Goddess Durga are immersed at the Babupara ghat which will be witnessed by thousands of devotees and the general public.
The Dhak competition which displays the skills of the best drummers from each Puja Mandap will take place at Police Parade Ground on Thursday evening. The CPC has invited the head of Ramakrishna Mission in Cherrapunjee, Maharaj Anuragananda, to be the chief guest at the Dhak competition.
Church leaders from the Garo Baptist Convention and the Catholic Church have also been given special invitation.
