By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 21: The mood has been set and fervour is soaring through the sky as revellers have started to throng the streets of the city to celebrate this year’s rejuvenated Durga Puja, especially following the tumultuous years owing to the pandemic.
Beginning Friday, the cityscape has been shimmering with decorative lights and interesting exhibiting the onset of festivity. A large number of people were seen visiting pandals in the city dressed in their best attires.
This year, there are 243 community pandals and 11 private ones in the state. East Khasi Hills counts for 123 of those, Jaintia Hills 11 while Garo Hills has 116 pandals.
In Shillong, no Durga Puja committee had a chance to celebrate any milestone. However, in Garo Hills, Bhaitbari DPC looks set to celebrate its platinum jubilee while Tura Shiv Mandir DPC will celebrate its silver jubilee.
A series of programmes have also been lined up during this festive season by the CPC. One of the popular competitions, the Drum Beat Competition, will be held at Puja Pandal of Rilbong Durga Puja Committee starting 10.30 am on Sunday (Maha Astami Day). The competitions will be held in group and individual categories. The winners of both the categories will be awarded cash prizes along with medals.
A series of routine joint meeting between CPC/Puja Committee and District Civil and Police Administration has been held. It took up issues relating to peaceful celebration of the festival and permission to all Durga Puja Committees was granted with guidelines, terms and conditions laid down in the order.
The District Police Administration has deployed round-the -clock security at all Durga Puja pandals of Greater Shillong area in particular, besides other districts and sub-divisions for the ensuing Durga Puja days. Security personnel would also be deployed at all vulnerable points of Greater Shillong. The Police City Patrol Van will make frequent patrolling in the city.
In addition, all Durga Puja committees of Greater Shillong have formed their own volunteer groups with an identification mark (ID card etc.) to assist the traffic police in regulating the traffic flow and the visitors in and around their respective pandals during rush hours. To facilitate the puja visitors, the Central Puja Committee (CPC) has requested the Shillong Public Transport Services (SPTS) through the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills for plying of buses in Shillong up to 11 pm till October 23 in some selected routes of Greater Shillong.
The CPC will request the Secretary, Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA), through the Superintendent of Police of East Khasi Hills, to keep its parking lots at Police Bazar, Polo, Luckier Road, etc., open until midnight till October 24 so that visitors do not find it difficult to park their vehicles.
On the immersion day, the CPC will deploy more than 100 volunteers at Immersion Ghat, Polo, CS Point and 4th Furlong Junction, besides different immersion routes of Greater Shillong to assist the district administration ensure a peaceful and incident-free immersion of the idols.
CPC’s annual ‘Sarad Sanman Award 2023’ will be awarded to eight prominent personalities of Shillong in CPC’s Valedictory Function to be held after Chatt Puja Festival 2023.