Jamshedpur, Sept. 23 : Durga Puja is the time when the Bengalis are at their creative best. With mega festive season round the corner, can Jamshedpur remain far behind. Craftsmen from the city along with their counterparts in West Bengal are giving shape to their creative ideas in the form of puja pandals.
From ancient temple to magic fort, the denizens would get opportunity to witness the best of pandals this season. When it comes to the celebration the creative talents of artists get a free flow, bringing out an array of interesting pandals by each of the more than 308 puja samitis in the city every year.
“It is common in our city to have a specially-created pandal for the worship of Durga. Every year devotees pour in to catch the glimpse of our pandal ,” said Anit Kar official Farm Area, Kadma Durga Puja committee.
About 22 artists from West Bengal would construct a pandal similar on the lines of a temple at Mauritius. The committee would spend three lakhs on the construction of pandals.
On the other hand known for its creative designs, the puja committee of New Sidgora has decided to construct a replica of the magical fort. Artists from Mednipur, West Bengal have been roped in prepare the pandal.
This year committees are chosing larger premises for the puja and that made this pandal possible.
Mahadev Mandal, a craftsmen hired on contract from Bengal, while putting finishing touches to a thermacol cut-out of a kalash said, �I used to make such decorations back home for the bigger decorators. When I saw that there is a good demand for such work, I joined a group that creates these structures. We have taken up a few projects this year and hope to receive good returns.
Members of puja committees informed that the craftspersons actually have an album of pandals to show clients. Once the client has chosen the structure, the craftspersons shop for materials, and gets started. The puja committees vie with each other to make the best of pandals.
�Pandals are an important part of the Durgotsav and we try to come up with creative ideas to attract the devotees,� said a committee member.
�Terracotta, cotton, water colour beside, wooden structure has been utilized to construct the temple replica. It is in the night when the real beauty of the structure will be on display,� informed Srinivas Rao, functionary of the puja committee.
Nearly a dozen odd puja pandals in the city are worth a look this pujas as in the backdrop of the steep price rise and recessionary trend a large block of the 340 odd puja committees in the industrial town have limited themselves to �budget pandals�.
�Only handful of puja committees that have the capacity to spend few more lakhs from their funds have taken the courage to built expansive pandals otherwise, the city is celebrating budget puja this year,� asserted Partho Chakroborty.