Ranchi mayor Rama Khalkho with the winners and sponsors of the Reliance Mobile The Telegraph Puja Awards. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Oct. 20: After days of hard work and eager anticipation, it was finally an evening to savour success.

Thunderous applause, words of great encouragement and, of course, trophies greeted the winners of the Reliance Mobile The Telegraph Puja Awards at Hotel Green Horizon here on Friday.

Managing director of the hotel C.P. Raipat gave away the award — a trophy, a citation and a cheque of Rs 51,000 — for best pandal to members of the Rajasthan Mitra Mandal. The Puja committee’s “nutty idea” had not just stumped revellers but had also left the panel of eminent judges speechless.

The Bharatiya Nav Yuvak Sangh bagged the prize for the best pratima. Mayor Rama Khalkho and tourism secretary A.K. Singh gave away the award. The idol, the judges said, was a marvel in clay.

The spotlight then turned on the Kokar Puja Committee which won the award for best lighting for its innovation reviving the grim memories of the Titanic tragedy.

The event was put together in association with Reliance GSM, Jindal Steel and Power, Big 92.7 FM, Hotel Green Horizon and Sahara Samay.

Among the judges present — they also received a token of appreciation from The Telegraph — were mayor Rama Khalkho, writer Mahua Majee, social worker Ambika Jaipal Singh, sculptor Amitabh Mukherjee, artist Mukund Nayak, theatre personality Ajay Malkani, state tourism secretary A.K. Singh, painter Haren Thakur and income-tax additional commissioner M.K. Mishra.

However, five others — deputy commissioner Rajiv Arun Ekka, SSP M.S. Bhatia, MLA C.P. Singh, assistant vice-president of Jindal Steel Avijit Ghosh and hockey player Savitri Purty — could not attend the function.

“The entire event was very well organised and we look forward to our participation in the future. Such events help us develop a close rapport with the people,” said Ambika Jaipal Singh. Rama Khalkho suggested that from next year more Puja organisers — both big and small — should participate in the event.

Artist Mukund Nayak and writer Mahua Majee had a few suggestions, too. Nayak asked puja organisers to rope in rural artisans instead of splurging on grandeur. Majee was in favour of instituting a separate award for traditional family pujas.

One of the organisers of Kokar Puja, Chanchal Chatterjee, said the institution of the award was very encouraging. Ravi Rastogy of Bharatiya Nav Yuvak Sangh couldn’t agree more.

“Finally our work has found recognition. It is a big day for us,” he said.

The gala evening would not have been complete without a delectable spread. So, while schezuan babycorn, french fries, murg lasooni kebab, mutton balls tossed in sauce served as starters, pulao, kulcha, naan, dal makhani, vegetable jhalfrezi, motia palak, murg makhanwala and Bengali fish curry formed the main course.

The taste of success was made sweeter with bowls of rasmalai, dollops of vanilla ice cream and glasses of strawberry shake.