(From top) A Durga Puja mandap at Saheed Nagar in Bhubaneswar, an idol decorated with silver at Khannagar and an illuminated gate at Sikharpur in Cuttack. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee and Badrika Nath Das

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 2: The atmosphere in the state is filled with the frenzy of the festive season.

The Millennium City of Cuttack is glittering in gold and silver backdrops for the idols of Goddess Durga. The capital city has turned into a hub of craftsmen who have designed pandals based on various themes.

The waves of revelry of Durga Puja are being felt across the state.

Spending over Rs 1.5 crore on the silver filigree backdrop — locally called chandi medha — for the Durga idol this year, the Sikharpur-Gandarpur puja committee in Cuttack is already attracting visitors. Similarly, the Khannagar puja committee spent Rs 2 crore on the medha.

“Around 250kg of silver was used to mould the chandi medha for the goddess,” said artisan Nirakar Das of Mansinghpatna, who led a nine-member team that completed the intricate tarakashi (silver filigree) work in 10 months.

“Nearly 50kg of silver was used for the crown, jewellery and throne for the goddess in last two years,” added Das, who had earlier given shape to the chandi medhas at Badambadi and Nayasarak.

Khannagar puja committee secretary Prafulla Kumar Sahu said: “We have used around 350kg of silver for the backdrop for our goddess.”

A keen sense of competition has pushed several puja committees to embrace giant silver filigree backdrops made of pure silver in the past decade.

However, Sikharpur-Gandarpur puja committee working president Ramachandra Swain said: “It’s not just about the competition.

“It’s also about promoting the exquisite art form of tarakashi. Though Cuttack is a stronghold of silver filigree, lack of resources and demand has forced traditional craftsmen to seek other work,” he said.

Till last year, 12 puja mandaps had sported chandi medhas weighing between 250kg and 500kg.

With chandi medhas coming up at Sikharpur and Khannagar their number in the city has gone up to 14.

This year, grand idols have come up in 150 puja pandals across the city.

In Bhubaneswar, visitors can see a scenic village backdrop as well as a towering church in Paris.

Puja committees of Nayapalli, Rasulgarh, Saheed Nagar, Old Station and Ashok Nagar are leaving no stone unturned to represent their pandals as a perfect work of art. This year the capital is flooded with over 100 pandals and each committee is trying its best to depict an inspiring and creative theme.

Established decorators and weavers from Bengal have been invited, especially for Durga Puja.

Light decorators from Berhampur have filled the streets with beautifully knitted light designs.

“Our pandal designs always send across a message to the people. This year, our pandal is inspired by a church in Paris as we want to spread the message of secularity,” said a member of Nayapalli Durga Puja Samiti, Kedar Pattnaik.

Shaheed Nagar durga puja committee is going eco-friendly this year, with the pandal designed as a fictitious temple made of sugarcane, pith of jute plant and wild grasses.

“We have worked very hard on our lighting this year. We will have LED lighting as well as digital lighting this time.

“Another main attraction is Lord Jagannath and Subhadra’s chariot with lights,” said treasurer of Shaheed Nagar puja committee, Harish Prasad Rath.

While the 18-year-old Rasulgarh puja committee got a jute Bangkok Budhha Palace made from jute as their theme, a camel and horse exhibition, Punjabi dance and fire-torch dance will also be held here.

Old Station puja committee has set up a pandal of a quaint village made from plaster of Paris and fibre.

Cities in western Orissa have also come alive to the celebrations. Rourkela, Sambalpur, Bhawanipatna and Jharsuguda are dazzling with colourful lights.

Similarly, Balasore, Bhadrak and Berhampur are immersed in Dussehra festivities.