The pandal gates along Netaji Subhas Road and Tarun Ram Phookan Road in Dhubri

Oct. 17: A grand pandal, shimmering lights, an exquisitely moulded deity and a slew of value additions are drawing revellers to Netaji Subhas Road to witness the largest and one of the oldest community Pujas in town.

Bhatri Sangha has organised a special celebration this year, including a 12-day extravaganza comprising processions and contests, to mark the golden jubilee of its Puja.

A series of contests for children and adults — art, essay, quiz, memory and alpana (floor art and painting) — have been lined up during the Pujas. The club will also release a souvenir and hold a green campaign.

The poor are not being left out of the festivities either.

The club has already distributed new clothes to 500 destitutes. “We distribute clothes to the poor every year. But this time, we increased the number of beneficiaries to 500. Names were shortlisted and coupons distributed. The new clothes were distributed today,” Deb said.

The organisers had also approached all the 65 community Puja organisers in the town requesting to distribute garments to the destitutes in their respective localities.

The Puja was first organised in 1958 by Dinesh Ranjan Sarkar, a philanthropist. Since then, the Puja has grown big every year and now it attracts thousands of pandal-hoppers.

Parts of the Netaji Subhas Road and Tarun Ram Phookan Road leading to the pandal have been given a facelift. Several gates, leading to the pandal, have been erected.

And that’s not all.

Bhatri Sangha has appealed to all the community Puja organisers of the town to allot it the third place in the immersion procession on Dashami.

“We are planning a colourful procession with two tableaux on national unity and integrity,” Deb said.