Rising prices have had little effect on the festive mood this Durga Puja.

Puja committees in the city have not cut down on their festival budget. Instead, the benevolence of their members has helped them plan celebrations full of pomp and grandeur.

Leading the opulent pack is newcomer Aadishakti Yuva Manch, Gola Road. The first-time Durga Puja organisers have a budget of Rs 7.5 lakh. The more established puja committees, too, have drawn up budgets this year that far exceed their expenses last year.

While most puja committees spend much of their funds on the impressive pandals (wooden structure for the idols), other overheads like the idols of Goddess Durga and her four children, lighting, labour and prasad also contribute towards the healthy budgets even in this season of inflation.

Great expectations

The pandal of the new puja at Gola Road will look like the Universal Temple of Chennai.

“We could not get too many donors or sponsors as we are organising the puja for the first time,” said Subodh Yadav, the secretary of Adishakti Yuva Manch, adding: “But our members have contributed in a big way to make our efforts a success.”

Royal style

The pandal of the popular Sri Sri Durga Puja Samiti, Shiv Mandir, Khajpura, will look like the Umaid Bhavan Palace in Jodhpur. “All the residents of the neighbourhood have come forward to help us organise the puja properly,” said Subesh Kumar, a member of the committee.

He added: “While some of the members are making bhog, others are providing essential commodities like milk and sugar for the rituals. We don’t take donations from corporate houses, as we would have to provide them advertisement space in return. We are lucky that generous individual donations have helped us meet the budget.”

Generous donors

At Sri Sri Durga Puja Samiti, Bailey Road, Rukunpura, too, the donations of members have played a big part in organising the puja.

“Our expenses have gone up this year because of the price rise. But our members have also donated more this year,” said Shyam Kishore Singh, the president.

For them, the labour expenses have increased from Rs 80,000 last year to Rs 1 lakh this year. Singh said: “We would not have been able to organise the puja without generous contributions.”

Double fun

At the puja of Navketan Navyuvak Sangh, visitors will not only get to pray to Goddess Durga but also enjoy rides. The expenses for these, however, have jacked up the budget of the festival.

“Our pandal will be different from other pandals. People will be able to enjoy rides at our puja. But arranging for these has been expensive. We have spent nearly Rs 1 lakh on it,” said Sachchidannad Singh, the treasurer of the committee.

He added: “We have been able to organise the puja in a grand style thanks to our members who have contributed double this year.”

Triumph of devotion

The inflation demon has been slain at Kankerbagh Sarbajanin Puja as well.

“Price rise will not affect us in any way,” said Ajay Rai Choudhary, a member of the committee. “Our budget has increased this year. But so has the contribution of our donors.”

The goddess after all comes only once a year, and her devotees are more than willing to loosen their purse strings to welcome her.

Which Durga Puja pandals will you visit this time? Tell ttbihar@abp.in