Puja pandal of RR Colony at Rynjah in Shillong. Telegraph picture

Shillong, Oct. 11: It is a state where Catholics sit with Puja committees and chalk out plans to contain crowd and a Christian convention gets a helping hand from Hindus.

Little wonder then, that communal harmony reigns supreme as the Durga Puja theme in the Meghalaya capital.

As a mark of this legendary friendship, central Puja committee, an apex Puja organising body in the state, has organised the annual “get-together of harmony” tomorrow, which will highlight the need to maintain communal peace in the state.

There will be 175 community Durga Pujas in Shillong, besides seven privately organised ones.

The general secretary of central Puja committee, J.L. Das, said the get-together would be held tomorrow morning at Rajasthani Durga Puja Pandal, which is celebrating its golden jubilee year this Puja. The Malki-Dhankheti-Lachumiere Durga Puja committee is also celebrating its platinum jubilee this year.

Meghalaya Governor R.S. Mooshahary will attend the function along with the heads of different religious organisations, leaders of prominent NGOs, academicians, social activists, trade union leaders, members of different political parties, prominent citizens of Shillong and representatives of all Puja committees.

The central Puja committee’s Immersion Ghat Development Committee will organise a cleaning drive at the immersion ghat, Wahumkhrah river, Polo, before Puja. After immersion of idols on the concluding day of the Puja, a special cleaning drive will be organised to remove all debris from the river.

The central Puja committee will also make pandal-visit arrangements for around 50 physically challenged children of Bethany Society, Shillong along with their teachers and instructors. Another feature of this year’s Puja celebrations is that the Puja committee has extended help for the weeklong National Catholic Youth Convention, which began on Sunday.

As the Durga Puja celebrations and the Catholic meet will conclude simultaneously on October 17, a meeting was held at Bishops House, Shillong, between the organisers of the Convention and the office bearers of central Puja committee, to chalk out a strategy to deal with the huge number of people who will turn up for both events.