Artist’s impression of the Debigada ghat archway. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Feb. 13: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation today completed the land identification process for the construction of a permanent archway at Debigada, the traditional site used for immersion of goddess Durga during the Dussehra every year.

A senior official of the engineering section of the corporation and the irrigation department today conducted an on-spot verification to finalise the special project.

“Keeping in view the proposed expansion of the existing Ring Road, it has been decided to construct the Debigada portal away from the main road so that it does not cause traffic obstruction when the expanded road comes up,” said city mayor Saumendra Ghose.

Ghose said the Debigada portal was a long-standing demand of the people of the city as it hosted to lakhs of devotees during the immersion of more than 150 Durga idols during Dussehra every year.

“We welcome the initiative of the corporation. The project will be another added attraction for Dussehra which is celebrated in Cuttack in a grand manner,” said Dilip Prusty, a local resident.

An official of the corporation said that tenders would be floated soon for the much-awaited project and that it was likely to be completed before Dussehra this year. “A budgetary provision of Rs 30 lakh has been made for the construction of the permanent portal. However, the actual estimate is yet to be prepared. We will request tourism and various other government departments to provide funds as the actual cost of the project might come up to around Rs 50 lakh,” Ghose said.

Last year, the design was approved after tenders were invited for the project. Artist Laxmidhar Moharana, who had created the permanent Bali yatra gateway, will also carry out the portal’s construction. The Bali yatra welcome gate was built at a cost of Rs 50 lakh and was inaugurated by chief minister Naveen Patnaik last year.

“The entire structure of the portal will be built in fibre and concrete. Various statues of Goddess Durga and seven lions will also be installed at the Debigada gate,” said Moharana. He said the structure would be 25-ft high and 60-ft wide so that the tableaux can easily pass through the portal without any obstruction.