The 35-foot-high Shiva statue at Hanuman Nagar in Patna. The organisers of this Puja have chosen Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption as their theme. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Sept. 25: Goddess Durga and her children would be in for a surprise when they see the theme-based pandals that have come up across the state capital this year.

Traditional pandals, too, are aplenty because many of the goddess’s devotees believe “old is gold”.

Organisers of Durga Puja in the city are spoilt for choice this year. While some have decided to represent India’s World Cup victory, others will showcase social activist Anna Hazare’s crusade for the Jan Lokpal Bill. Natural disasters, too, have been inspiration for some Puja organisers.

The Telegraph visited a number of pandals across the city to give our readers a preview of what they can expect when they go out on the four days of the festival.

Navyuvak Sangh Shree Durga Puja Samiti on Dakbungalow Road has planned a huge pandal that will represent the famous Shiva temple at Kanauj in Madhya Pradesh. This Puja is famous for showcasing different themes every year and usually attracts a large crowd. This year, too, the organisers are leaving no stone unturned to draw the attention of revellers. Artists from Patna and Midnapore in Bengal are working day and night to carve out the details on the pandal.

Temples are not the only flavour of the season, though.

The organisers of the Puja at Hanuman Nagar have chosen Hazare’s fight against corruption for their pandal and decorations. A source said: “Dussehra is the festival of the triumph of good over evil. So, the pandal of Indian Society Samaj Seva Samiti (organisers of the Puja at Hanuman Nagar) will have darker shades representing the murky aspects of the human mind.”

Abhay Singh, the secretary of Indian Society Samaj Seva Samiti, said: “Our Puja will portray the ugly side of Indian politics.” He added that the pandal itself would be like a cave in the Himalayas with the gods and goddesses in the cavern. The Puja is already grabbing eyeballs of passers-by with the 35-foot-high statue of Lord Shiva at the venue. The statue is still under construction but organisers believe it will be a major draw.

Along with the dark side of the human mind, the gloomy aspects of nature will also be showcased this festive season.

The organisers of the Pancham Samiti Puja on DN Das Road have decided to portray the aftermath of an earthquake through their pandal and decorations. There are no cookies for guessing their inspiration — the recent earthquake in Sikkim, the tremors of which were felt across north India. The organisers of the Puja wish to pray to the benevolent goddess to protect human life in times of such disasters.

Mahesh Sahni, the secretary of Pancham Samiti, told The Telegraph: “The huge loss caused by massive earthquakes shall be represented in details at our Puja pandal. There is a prediction for a global disaster in 2012. There is a need for divine intervention to protect the world.”

While themes are the craze this season, traditional Pujas, too, have their niché. The 119-year-old Bangali Akhara at Langer Toli has abstained from extravagant decoration. The organisers of this traditional Puja are planning on month-long programmes to sustain the festivities till Kali Puja and Diwali.

Shaurabh Bhattacharya, the assistant secretary of Bangali Akhara, said: “We will organise a dhunuchi naach (dance) competition on Navami, besides sit-and-draw and alpana-making competitions. We will also host a musical evening, where artistes will perform Tagore and Nazrul songs. Special nagara players from Bengal have been invited to play the traditional instrument during the immersion of idols on Dashami.”

It is not yet time to think of immersion though. For, the festivities are just about to begin.