The festive adrenalin starts flowing in Jamshedpur with Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu…

It has been a ritual since the mid-50s of the last century in all Bengali homes and, of late, in many other non-Bengali speaking families, to listen to Mahishasur Mardini on Mahalaya day with the crisp and perfect Sanskrit and Bengali diction of the immortal Birendra Krishna Bhadra and the accompanying songs by a cluster of evergreen singers ringing through the dawn till the initial hours of daybreak to arouse the Durga Puja spirit in heart and soul. New dresses, mouthwatering delicacies and pandal hopping are all lined up to live through 10 days of fun and frolic sans the groans and grinds of daily living of the other 355 days.

Talking of pandal hopping, there are many popular puja pandals that are known for their décor, idols of the Mother and the unending waves of visitors who gasp and sweat while viewing the heavenly wonders set up on earth. One such pandal is the Praveen Singh Seva Sansthan eye-catcher at Adityapur. The Durga Puja here is credited to social worker and politician Arvind Singh alias Malkhan Singh who has been ensuring eye catching and thematic pandals for the hordes of visitors through the years. In fact, no Durgotsav is complete without a visit to this famous pandal. In order to give the streaming visitors an opportunity for a deko of the pandal decoration and the idols, the pandal doors were opened for public viewing on October 2, the Mahalaya day after being inaugurated by Jamui MLA Shreyasi Singh. Visitors are pouring in, in a manner akin to Durgotsav days.

The attractive Golmuri Circus Maidan pandal was inaugurated by former parliamentarian and Congress leader Dr Ajoy Kumar and since then, visitors have been streaming in without a break as some pandal hoppers prefer late night hours to day and evening hours with expectations of avoiding crowds. But as things have been standing through time, crowds at popular Durga Puja pandals are ceaseless and grow as time ticks on.

The New Farm Area Durga Puja committee which has been organizing Durgotsav since 1952, has been coming up with designer décor through every passing year. This year, the pandal has been erected with bamboo peals and shredding. The internal and external decors with lighting design speak of a master’s touch.

Another Durgotsav destination is the Ghasi Club (Jamshedpur Puja Committee established in 1919) in South Park. There has never been any attractive design as far as memory goes and the idols of Maa Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh, Kartik and Mahishasur have remained traditional. Perhaps it is this traditional milieu that attracts a large chunk of citizens to this Mandap where groups of people get together and chat about past and present amidst cups of tea from one of the rare stalls that are scattered around the averagely-spaced ground.

Almost the same can be said about the Circuit House Durga Puja atmosphere. The crowds of friends, acquaintances and relatives are much larger. Footfalls of pandal hoppers are much more but the prevailing flavour is homely without the push, pull and stuffy crowd. Moderate to delicious food stalls around the simply decorated pandal have been known to do good business through the Puja times.

Another crowd puller has all along been the Thakur Pyare Singh-Dhurandar Singh Club in Kasidih. The pandal, the idols and the mind-boggling decoration have combined to make Durgotsav here as one of the most must-visit addresses in Jamshedpur. Teeming crowds dot every inch of pandal space while a variety of stalls around the vast puja ground do roaring business. These stalls cater to every possible need be it food varieties or home essentials. For the kids, young and not-so-young there are giant wheels, merry-go-rounds and other thrilling game rides. Pandal hoppers find this Thakur Pyare Singh-Dhurandar Singh Club’s Durgotsav a sensational spot to visit and while away some time amidst all-round gaiety.

Other destinations for pandal hoppers during Durga Puja celebrations include Sabuj Kalyan Sangha, Tuiladungri, New Baradwari, Sidhgora, Baridih, Agrico, Ramkrishna Mission in Bistupur, Biswajit Monimala in Contractors Area, Rankini Mandir and Old Farm Area in Kadma to mention a few.

Shiuli and Kash flowers herald Divine Mother’s advent among Her mortal children. The dhak beats create a festive rhythm in the heart. The adrenaline flows in unchecked gaiety. Durgotsav is a few days of joy far from the rigors of daily living.