110 puja mandaps to welcome devotees
TURA: The season of festivals has arrived and there is excitement in the air. The beating of the dhols has begun as Hindu devotees in Garo Hills prepare to celebrate their biggest festival which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga.
The nine day Durga Puja festival will be at its most colourful in Garo Hills, particularly in Tura, during the next four days beginning with Saptami on Saturday and ending on Vijay Dashami (October 8) when the idols of goddess Durga are immersed.
The celebration of Durga Puja- a triumph of good over evil, will witness thousands of devotees flocking to various elegantly decorated puja pandals to offer worship to the goddess. Both young and old, dressed in their finery will get an opportunity to indulge in a spread of puja delicacies and partake in cultural programmes that will be at its peak during the late evening hours.
The Durga Puja, which has for decades always been a colourful celebration in Garo Hills marks the beginning of the festivities that will include Diwali the festival of lights at the end of October, the 100 Drums Wangala festival in November and the biggest Christmas and New Year celebrations in December.
Tura, which prides itself for having the oldest durga puja celebrations- 134-year-old Nepali Durga Puja Mandap, will also have as many as 25 puja pandals set up across different localities of the town, the newest entrant to the celebrations being the Sepoy Colony Durga Puja.
“Preparations are in full swing and last minute touches are being given before Shashti on Friday. We are expecting record number of visitors to the different puja mandaps,” says Arup Nag, Secretary of the Central Puja Committee that oversees the celebrations every year.
From the Babupara Durga Puja to Thakurbari, Nakham Bazar and Lower Dobasipara all the way to Dermile puja mandap, a record number of visitors are expected. The durga pujas are not going to be centred solely in the Tura region.
The frontier town of Mahendraganj, facing Bangladesh, will host the second largest number of puja mandaps at a staggering figure of 17 puja pandals.
Two other towns long famous for their durga puja celebrations will be Phulbari (9 mandaps) and Dalu border town (8 mandaps).
Alongside the celebrations, there will also be various competitions among the puja pandals ranging from temple decoration, illumination of the mandaps, hospitality and discipline.
While optimism is in the air on the eve of the celebrations, yet, there is also apprehension the weather gods could play truant.
Two continuous days of incessant rains, in the beginning of the week, threw all puja preparations into chaos.
Construction works came to a halt, venues of the mandaps were left muddy and water logged, and roads and drains damaged by the rain water.
There is concern for the organisers that time could be in short supply for restoration and renovation works, particularly filling up pot-holes on roads and setting up of street lighting.
“We are in constant touch with the district administration and held several meetings to ensure smooth functioning of the upcoming celebrations,” inform Nag.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told The Shillong Times that the administration and concerned departments have been asked to speed up all pending works concerned with the puja celebrations.
On Wednesday, Chief Adviser to the chief minister and North Tura MLA, Thomas A Sangma, met with leaders of the central puja committee and also visited several puja mandaps to see for himself the preparations underway for the pujas.
The police have also held several rounds of meetings chaired by West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police MGR Kumar and security arrangements including mobile patrolling and police pickets have been arranged for the celebrations.
“Durga Puja is a time to share our happiness with one another and we welcome every citizen to come and participate in our celebrations,” said the central puja committee of Tura in its public appeal.