• By Kamal Kumar
  • Thu, 19 Oct 2023 12:33 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Durga Puja pandals in Jharkhand showcased varied themes this year from Chandrayaan-3 to 'Beti Bachao', to celebrate the key achievements of the nation along with the celebrations of Navratri festivities. Artists, predominantly hailing from neighbouring West Bengal, are actively putting the final touches on the marquees that began welcoming the public on Wednesday evening.

The Ranchi Railway Station Durga Puja Committee, renowned for its unique puja pandals, is focusing this year on raising awareness about preventing female foeticide with the theme 'Beti Bachao' (save daughters).

"We worship Goddess Durga who is a woman. But, female foeticide is still a reality in many parts of the country. The importance of girls in our society has been displayed through various artworks in the pandal," said the committee's president Munchun Rai as quoted by PTI.

"Fetus in a womb has been exhibited with the help of 25,000 light bulbs," he said.

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Munchun also said that due to the enormous size of pandals, artists from Kolkata were brought in, and they dedicated several months to set it up adding that construction amounted to Rs 35 lakh.

Shakti Shrot Sangh Durga Puja Committee (SSDPC) in the city's Garikhana area has showcased the success of Chandrayaan 3 through its pandal.

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"We decided to celebrate the success of Chandrayaan-3, a big achievement for the country. Besides the launch of Chandrayan-3, a prototype of ISRO's computer lab has also been displayed. Our theme will refresh the memory of the people," SSDPC president Akash Kumar Singh said.

He mentioned that Rs 20 lakh went into the construction of the pandal, with artists from Kolkata receiving assistance from local artisans to bring it to life. The Chhapan Set Sarvajanik Durga Puja Committee in Doranda has also crafted a pandal featuring Chandrayaan-3. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Yuvak Sangh (BYS) of Bakri Bazaar, renowned for its elaborate pandals, has erected a structure termed as a replica of the 'Chakravyuh,' the formation used in the battle of Kurukshetra. An expenditure exceeding Rs 50 lakh was made to create this pandal.

"Young people are not much aware of such epic stories. The pandal is an attempt to make them aware of the most popular events of Mahabharata," said an official of BYS.

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The Rankini Mandir Durga Puja Committee of Jamshedpur's Kadma area built a pandal which depicts the Vande Bharat Express. The state got two Vande Bharat Express trains this year. Jharkhand's art, culture and traditions have been showcased at the pandal of Argora Durga Puja Committee. It tried to exhibit the way Durga Puja is celebrated in rural Jharkhand.

Ranchi's OCC Club and Puja Committee in its 53rd year has set up a pandal on the theme of 'rangoli'. The RR Sporting Club has depicted the life of Gautam Buddha through its pandal. A total of 160 Durga Puja pandals have been set up in Ranchi this year, officials said.
Governor CP Radhakrishnan inaugurated two pandals in the city on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren directed officers to ensure the safety and security of the pandals, besides maintaining uninterrupted power supply, smooth traffic movement on the roads and adequate fire prevention arrangements during the festive season.
The state government has asked the districts to deploy adequate security personnel at sensitive locations, install CCTV cameras, and also use drone cameras for surveillance of crowds at the pandals.

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State capital Ranchi has been divided into four zones, and 161 magistrates have been deployed, a police officer said. A total of 713 puja pandals in the state, including 75 in Ranchi, have been identified as sensitive, and special security arrangements have been made for them, he said. The administration of Ranchi prohibited the entry of heavy vehicles from October 20 to 24 throughout the day, except for 4 am to 8 am.