Cuttack: Three more silver pandals are set to join the elite list of ‘Chandi Medha’ here on the occasion of Saradiya Durga Puja; taking the total count to 27.
While Chhatra Bazar and Bidanasi puja committees have already opened the mandap for public, Ganga Nagar’s ‘Chandi Medha’ opened after the Sasthi Puja.
Chhatra Bazar puja committee entered into its 100th year and hence decided upon silver pandal with 250 kilos of the white metal. Similarly, it is the 75th year for the Bidanasi puja committee and will be celebrating with 220 kilos of silver for ‘Chandi Medha’. Meanwhile, Ganga Nagar puja committee entered its 25th year and to mark this occasion, it's silver tableau will be of 192 kilos of silver.
Speaking to Ommcom News, Sheikh Bazaar puja committee General Secretary Kishore Behera said, “Our puja committee was started our Chandi Medha in the year 1991 and gold crown for Maa Durga in the year 2005. The silver used for pandal, jewellery and throne comes to about three quintal. Additionally, seven kilos of gold is used for jewellery of Maa Durga and the ones accompanying her- Kartikey, Ganesh, Laxmi and Saraswati. ”
Coming to decorative ‘Torana’, he said, “We have 10 light gates as entry to our pandal. Each Torana erected has a significant theme. While first gate denotes Uri surgical strike, the second one shows Chandrayaan voyage and so on and so forth. ”
“Sheikh Bazaar puja committee has always followed Bengali traditions in its Dusshera festivities. So after Bhasani (ceremonial idol immersion), women folk engage in Sindur Lagi ritual where they apply Sindur to one another.”
“We extend our deepest thanks to the volunteers and traffic police for their invaluable service during the Durga Puja celebrations,” said Behera.
The Silver City Cuttack got its name due to its world-famous silver filigree work. The ‘Chandi Medhas’ across the city have the decorations in silver along with silver or gold ornamentation on Goddess Durga and her coterie of Lords Kartikey, and Ganesh, and Goddesses Saraswati and Laxmi. Each year respective puja committees begin the preparation for the Puja months ahead. And the rest is history.