Agartala, Oct. 11: The gold medal won by athlete Saraswati De Saha in the 200-metre sprint at the ongoing Asian Games at Busan in South Korea has added lustre to the festivities of the four-day Durga Puja in Tripura.

This is particularly true in case of Belonia subdivision of south Tripura, where the champion athlete was born.

A number of the 450-odd Puja organisers are planning to display Saraswati’s medal-winning feat through lighting decorations around their pandals.

Tripura’s sporting fraternity is also proud of the gold won by Saraswati for it is a long time after gymnasts Mantu Debnath and Kalpana Debnath (both Arjuna award winners) that this tiny state has got a champion performer at the international level.

Sources close to the champion athlete’s family said Saraswati De was born on November 23, 1979 and her early skill in sprinting was honed by running on open paddy fields.

Saraswati’s laurels have cheered the state but the Durga Puja is under the shadow of fear in the interior areas over possible militant attacks. The urban centres, though, are continuing to reflect the traditional gaiety of the festival.

According to police sources, more than 4,000 community pujas would be organised this year all over the state while in and around the capital there are more than 400 pujas organised by clubs.

Sources said apart from the arrest of 10 persons for trying to collect subscription by force, no untoward incident has so far been reported.

NLFT militants who used to interfere with Durga Puja in the interior areas till 2000 have changed tack and since last year, they have not created any disturbances.

Police sources said security has been beefed up all over the state to prevent any untoward incident during the Pujas.