Tables being arranged on Tuesday at a pandal in Ghorabandha, where special bhog will be offered to Arjun Munda’s guests. (Animesh Sengupta)

The fearsome Devi will no doubt be appeased by her VIP devotee. Chief minister Arjun Munda is coming home to Jamshedpur’s Ghorabandha on Wednesday to worship goddess Kali and play the perfect host to several thousand invitees on the occasion.

First couple Arjun and Meera will arrive on Wednesday morning, but there’s already a festive buzz at the celebrity residence, with four huge waterproof pandals, including an air-conditioned one for the notables. Neat tables and chairs with white cotton covers are in place. The AC enclosure is carpeted. Not surprisingly, the who’s who from the corporate and political fraternity are expected to attend the event.

The sprawling pandals, across 54,000sqft, have room for over 20,000 people, including those from Munda’s Assembly constituency of Kharsawan who are expected to arrive for Thursday’s bhog distribution. Munda will personally serve offerings to invitees, the masses and the bigwigs.

The exclusive guest list includes BJP’s Sarayu Roy, Raghubar Das, Dineshanand Goswami, Tata Steel managing director H.M. Nerurkar, vice-presidents Sanjiv Paul, Anand Sen and Partho Sengupta, Jusco chairman Bhusen Raina and managing director Manish Sharma, Tata Motors plant head P.K. Chobe, Telcon boss and Munda’s golf partner Ranaveer Sinha, RSB Group director S.K. Behera, senior bureaucrats and trade union leaders.

“We are distributing 20,000 invitation cards. We expect the gathering to surpass earlier years,” said state BJP spokesperson Amarpreet Singh Kale, co-ordinating the arrangements.

He added that invitees cut across party lines. Even people from rival parties such as Congress and JVM were invited, but it is not known whether festive bonhomie will bring them to the celebrations.

The Kali Puja is an annual affair organised by the Mundas for over 15 years now, with mother Saira and brother Bhim Singh also taking active interest in the proceedings. But, obviously, Arjun Munda’s political rise has upped the ante.

Kale, who confirmed that the chief minister and his better-half were arriving in Jamshedpur on Wednesday and would perform puja at night, added that arrangements, including dhaaks, prasad, pandal illumination and decoration were in place.

Corporate honchos said they were looking forward to the occasion.

“I make it a point to visit Munda’s residence for Kali Puja,” said Paul. “Munda is my personal friend. I am looking forward to paying my obeisance to the goddess and having the bhog,” added Behera.