Durga Puja Pandals Ready for Celebration

[Guest guest]

ALLAHABAD, India (September 25, 2006): The feeling is nothing short

of euphoria. And the intensity is increasing each day with the

approaching festivities of Durga Puja which will start

from 'shashthi'. [NOTE: Durga Puja takes place Friday, Sept. 29

through Sunday, Oct. 1 (i.e. the last three days of Navaratri), and

is the primary focus of the festival in West Bengal and some other

locales. -DB]

 

Final touches to the puja pandals are being given and various puja

committees in the city are on their toes to outwit others in

decoration. The colonies and parks have now been occupied with the

high raised pandals where the idols of Maa Durga, Maa Saraswati, Maa

Lakshmi, Kartikeya, and Ganesh will be installed. The replicas of

historically significant monuments have become the dominating theme

of constructing the pandals this year.

 

Lukerganj Barwari which is celebrating its centenary has spent

extravagantly to erect the puja pandal which is 80 feet high and 60

feet wide. The pandal has been shaped as Victoria Memorial.

 

The replica of famous Lord Jagannath temple of Puri has been made at

Bai-ka-Bagh. The Durga idol of almost 16 feet height will be

worshipped here.

 

Temple-shaped pandal is also being constructed at Jagat Taran Degree

College while the replica of Birla Mandir has taken shape at South

Malaka.

 

The Rambagh railway station brawari is famous for its idols. The

huge idol of Maa Durga attracts attention here. Every year, this

barwari concentrates more on having the beautifully embellished

idols.

 

Durga Puja festival has broken all the confines of community and

religion. Besides known to be the prime festival of the Bengali

community, it is now being celebrated with equal zeal by people

belonging to other communities. The markets are all a buzz with the

shoppers. Devi temples are thronged by the devotees, especially

those who observe fast on the occasion of Navratri.

 

SOURCE: Hindustan Times, Lucknow Edition

URL:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5922_1805729,0015002500010000.htm