Jamshedpur : While the Puja is here, nothing else is or exists. With over 295 puja pandals adoring, Jamshedpur has turned into an exotic location where radiant faces of the people speak volumes of the importance of the festival.
Various puja committees are taking innovative steps to attract devotees. From magic show to musical show a lot of ideas are being used this year. The Circuit House area puja committee, which one of the oldest pandals in the city, organised cultural programme.
� We have decided to host cultural shows to add a tinge of entertainment for the visitors. We are happy to note the response from the devotees,� said a functionary of puja committee.
Meanwhile, a big fair is being organised at Sabuj Kalyan Sangh, Telco. The area has turned into playground for visitors. Meanwhile, artistically carved idols of Goddess Durga is also attracting thedevotees a lot.
�Durga is the chief Indian goddess, and the one with the most colourful personality. She is a multifaceted persona.It is no wonder that in a conservative, male-oriented society such as India�s, the weapon-wielding, tiger-riding, demon-slaying Durga evokes unbridled admiration.
In keeping with the powerful, larger-than-life image of the goddess, Durga Puja, the festival meant to honour her, envelops every aspect of life,� said Debu Bannerjee, functionary of Jugsalai Durga Puja Committee.
Another Puja is here � another reaffirmation of our essential religiousness, another chance at renewing our social ties, another opportunity for restoring our links with divinity.
In Jamshedpur, Durga Puja is more than just a festival. Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the eastern India and one of the most important Hindu festivals, is not just a time for worship and ritualism.
Of course, those are inseparable from any festival, but Durga Pujameans much more than these. The city is known for its festivities related to the Puja.
Climatically, the month of Ashvin (the time ofDurga Puja) is a relatively ‘good’ one for India. The height of summer and the floods of the monsoon are both past, giving way to clear skies and a crisp air.
For many pujas, it is also an occasion for ‘home coming’. A large number of students pursuing higher education in metro cities, look forward every year to come back home and spend time at home during the puja. This year too a bunch of youths are in city visiting the city and enjoying every moment of it.
Shudhanshu Kumar, a BCom student studying in Mumbai, says “For me pujas are more than just a festival. It is that time of year which gives me a moment to meet my old friends.
Spending days during pujas remain etched in the heart forever. “It is simply impossible to describe the atmosphere of Durga Puja in Jamshedpur to someone who has not seen it for himself or herself,” he noted.
“The ambience, the fervour, the sounds of dhak � all these create such a celebratory mood that one cannot but be swept away by it.” Meeta, who now works in New Delhi and enjoys Durga Puja at Circuit House Area, feels that the Puja of Jamshedpur cannot be recreated elsewhere.
She added that it is that time of year again � the fragrance of shiuli in the air, the swish of tangails on the streets, the colour of joy on the faces. Another Puja is here � another reaffirmation of our essential religiousness, another chance at renewing our social ties, another opportunity for restoring our links with divinity.
“Our city turns into an exotic location where radiant faces of the people speak volumes of the importance of the festival. The entire city of Jamshedpur turns into a fairground during the four days of Puja with almost everyone coming out of their houses to attend community functions,” said Pratima Chatterjee, who is pursuing her higher studies in Kolkata.
