Fancy a visit to a sea cave this Durga Puja? If yes, look no further than Anandpuri, west Boring Canal Road.

The Sri Vijay Vahini Durga Puja Samiti, famous for its themes, has built a samundri gufa (sea cave) this year for the devotees with 10,000 sea animals and fishes.

Installation of the sea animals has started and artists are busy giving final touches as some of the fish will be operated by remote control. A surfing boat would be there too.

Santosh Kumar, president of Sri Vijay Vahini Durga Puja Samiti, said: “This year, we have given the look of the pandal premises like a samundri gufa and the waves of the sea have been made by using 2,500 metres of blue cloth. The

cloth would be of no use once the festival gets over because it has been cut in such a way that you cannot use the

cloth for any other purpose. Once you enter the pandal, you will feel as if you have entered a sea cave.”

Last year, Anandpuri was decorated with around 35,000 colourful kites. In 2016, the pandal was decorated with 3000 wooden baskets and in 2015, it was decorated with 2,000 umbrellas. It has been 37 years that the Sri Vijay Vahini Durga Puja Samiti has been organising the festival.

Santosh said every year, samiti member Harsh

Vardhan has been coming up with the themes for the past few years.

“Harsh is a bank employee who suggests the themes. We implement his theme because he has a lot of knowledge about pandals as he works in Calcutta and sees things around there. As you know Calcutta is the best place to visit during Durga Puja,” Santosh added.

There will be something for children and women too at the pandal. For kids, a selfie zone has been created in which they can click pictures with cartoon characters auch as Motu, Patlu, Mickey Mouse and Chhota Bheem. Similarly, there would be cut-outs of Goddess Durga holding the Trishul where women can

fix their face from behind and click pictures.

There would also be a separate idol in which no artificial objects have been used. The idol is made up of different plants like money plant, lemon, chilly plant and millet. Free tea will be distributed for visitors for three days starting Saptami and around 10,000 Parle-G biscuits will be distributed for children.

There would be special prasad for devotees that will be distributed among visitors as well. The first day, kheer will be made using 1,100 litres of milk, next day suji halwa of 300kg will be produced and on Navami, khichdi will be cooked with 400kg of rice.