SHILLONG, Oct 3: The Central Puja Committee (CPC), Meghalaya on Monday organised its 28th annual drum beat (dhak) competition at the Rilbong Durga Puja Pandal.
Hundreds of visitors, devotees and members of CPC and other Durga Puja committees of Shillong witnessed this annual event that attracted 12 participants in the individual and group categories.
The winner of the late Dr Subrata Das Memorial Running Trophy (individual category) was Biswajit Kinner’s group at Rilbong Durga Puja Pandal. The first prize winners were awarded a gold medal and Rs 7,000.
The second prize winner was Sunil Das of Kench’s Trace Durga Puja Committee. He was awarded the silver and Rs 5,000.
The third prize winner entailing a bronze medal and Rs 3,000 went to Maniram Das of RR Saradiya Utsav Samiti.
The dhakis (drum beaters) of Rilbong Durga Puja won the late Shiv Kumar Memorial Trophy by emerging as the group champion. Each received a gold medal and Rs 7,000.
The dhakis of Kench’s Trace Durga Puja Committee and RR Colony Saradiya Utsav Samiti received a silver each and Rs 5,000, and a bronze each and Rs 3,000 as the second and third prizes respectively.
For the first time in Shillong, two female dhaki groups of Harisabha and Oka
First time in Shillong, 2 female Dhaki groups of Hrasibha and Oakland Durga Pula Committees took part in the competitions. The CPC awarded them Rs 3,000 each in appreciation.
The CPC also awarded Rs. 1000 to each dhaki in appreciation of their participation.
The late Dr Subrata Das Memorial Running Trophy (individual champion) and the late Shiv Kumar Memorial Running Trophy (group champion) will be presented to the winners at the CPC’s valedictory function to be held in November.
Former minister Alexander Laloo Hek graced the prize distribution function as the chief guest and appreciated the CPC and host Rilbong DPC for organising the competition.
Hek along with CPC president Naba Bhattacharjee and general secretary J.L. Das, Ananga M. Paul, Dipankar Sen, Kalyan Das, Bibhuti Chakraborty and Jayanta Deb give away the prizes to the winners of the competition.
