Pandal construction work going on at Jharapada in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati
Bhubaneswar, Sept. 14: Jharapada Durga Puja Samiti, the organisers of one of the most popular puja pandals in the city, is creating the model of a railway station named Kalinga in its pandal this year.
The puja at Jharpada is one of the major attractions for pandal-hoppers in the city every year.
All facilities available at a railway station will be put in place in the pandal. 'Once a visitor steps into the platform, he will get the feeling of entering into a station. A replica of a train is also being created,' said puja committee vice-president Pratap Mishra.
'The dummy train will have three air-conditioned coaches standing on the track. The coaches will also have berths where the visitors will be able to sit and enjoy the puja rituals going on in the pandal,' he said.
The railway junction will also have volunteers dressed as ticket collectors and coolies.
Frequent announcements for arrival and departure of trains will also be made from a microphone.
The puja committee has ordered a 20-feet idol of Goddess Durga for around Rs 22 lakh. Cuttack-based Santosh Kumar Behera is crafting the idol, while Biswajeet Das is designing the backdrop. Silver and gold jewelleries have also been ordered for the deities.
'Around 50 artists are involved in the process of constructing the pandal. We expect the turnout to be around one lakh everyday,' he added.
The puja organisers have also focussed on theme-based lighting, apart from a meena bazaar and cultural evenings, to attract the crowd.
Some 15 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed to keep an eye on trouble-makers.
Besides, four parking lots are also being set up. The city police will manage traffic with the help of about 300 volunteers of Jharapada Durga Puja Samiti.
A dedicated ramp will be set up inside the pandal to ensure hassle-free movement of the disabled and elderly people.
Like every year, a sizeable population of Muslims are taking part in the celebrations this year as well.
'Hindus and Muslims live here like brothers and take part in each other's festivals such as Durga Puja and Eid,' said said local resident Anshuman Jena.
