SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, Oct 3: The residents of the state capital seem to have made up for not being able to celebrate the Durga Puja for the past two years due to the pandemic. All puja committees in the city have prepared grand pandals in different areas of the capital. As per information, more than 310 puja pandals are being built in Ranchi this year, and almost all have tried to spread different messages through their designs.
These include the pandal made every year at the Ranchi Railway Station by the Ranchi Railway Station Durga Puja Committee. The pandal is formed in the shape of a mushroom cloud formed after atomic explosions. As per the Durga Puja Committee, the organisers want to spread the message of preserving nature, and the effects of nuclear technology gone wrong.
The Harmu Panch Mandir Durga Puja Committee, on the other hand, has made up a pandal using cartoon and anime characters. The pandal will be focusing on showcasing games that were played earlier but are now vanishing as children get involved with phones and tablets.
Odam is a tribal word which means memory fruit or memory city. It was used by the people of the tribal community. This year, the RR Sporting Club is set to showcase this artefact as a pandal. The pandal itself is made of natural materials such as wood, straw, and leaves and will depict many types of animals. The pandal décor is to follow the Jal Jungle Zameen concept to depict the culture of Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, Rajasthani art and culture will be showcased in the pandal of Shri Shri Bandhgadi Durga Puja Committee (Booty More). Here the pandal is being constructed in golden colour. The pandal showcases a glimpse of the local dresses and the lifestyle of the people there. The idols of other gods and goddesses including Maa Durga will also be seen in traditional Rajasthani costumes.
The Mahashakti Durga Puja Committee at Shivaji Chowk, Booty More is constructing a pandal on the theme of Sheesh Mahal this year. The statue of the Goddess itself looks like a mirror. Devotees climb a 12 feet high ladder to enter the mandap. A total of Rs 35 lakhs has been spent on the entire event.
The Bakri Bazar Durga Puja committee is making a pandal in the form of an ISKCON temple at Mayapur in West Bengal. The pandal showcases the beauty of the ISKON temple.
The Kantatoli pandal, on the other hand, is showcasing the importance of traffic rules. The pandal makers in their message urge residents of the city to follow traffic rules.