The idol of Ganesh in Jamshedpur’s Kadma. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Aug. 22: A well-decorated pandal, impressive safety measures and a whole lot of entertainment will mark this year’s Ganesh Puja Mahotsav to be organised by the Shree Bala Ganapati Vilas at Kadma from tomorrow.

State BJP president Raghubar Das will inaugurate the pandal set up by the puja committee that turns 90 this year. The budget of the puja this year is around Rs 9 lakh, compared to Rs 7 lakh last year.

“This is the most popular Ganesh Puja in town and we have tried to make it both entertaining and safe for the visitors. It has been nine decades now but our popularity has increased with every passing year. Since the festivity attracts crowds, we are taking necessary initiatives for proper security,” said K.J. Rao, the president of Shree Bala Ganapati Vilas.

This includes hiring the services of 25 private security guards for the 14-day affair and insuring the fair against accidents.

The fair has an insurance of Rs 25 lakh for the past three years in order to combat any emergency. The space to enter the pandal will be 20ft-wide and a fire brigade will be present at the fair round-the-clock.

“The crowd is huge and there would be many stalls and a number of rides at the fair. Therefore, getting an insurance was necessary. Thanks to the insurance, we know that we can deal with any accidents that may take place in the fair. The district administration also extends its co-operation in successfully organising the mahotsav,” said organising committee general secretary A. Raja.

The organisers of the mahotsav have also requested Tata Steel to provide them 1,000sqft in order to build a Ganesh temple.

“The ground is now known as the Ganesh Puja maidan. We plan to have a temple there for our centenary year in 2019,” said Rao.

Preparations are also being made for grand Ganesh Puja celebrations at G-Town Ground and Rama Mandir in Bistupur.