Festive fervour in the air: temples decked up, festivities in full swing for Durga Puja

As Durga Puja begins tomorrow, preparations are in full swing across the region. Temples are beautifully decorated, with  artisan seen painting and adorning the premises. Numerous pandals have been organised, adding to the festive fervour.

Business Northeast spoke to Dalim Das, Executive President of the Sankat Mochan Ashram and Kala Krishti Bikash Niketan, who shared insights into this year’s celebrations. “We have spent  Rs 10 lakhs on Durga Puja preparations, out of which Rs 3 lakhs were raised from public contributions. Our Durga Idol is made with clay. Last year, we had a huge crowd on Ashtami, with over 2,000 people attending and more than 1,500 partaking in the prasad on Navami. This year, as Ashtami and Navami fall on the same day, we are expecting an even larger turnout," Das said.

Business Northeast also spoke with Bani Kalita, President of the Xodou Japorigog Sarbojonin Puja Samiti and Kola-Krishti Bikash Kendra. “Our total budget for this year is Rs 28 lakhs. From the temple's decoration to the lighting of adjacent streets, we have arranged everything, and we are eagerly looking forward to the festivities," Kalita shared. Pulakh Chakraborty, General Secretary, added, "We began the construction of a permanent Durga idol in 1923. Last year, the construction was almost completed, and this year, it is fully finished. The full-fledged puja will start today with Narayan Puja. We have allocated Rs 7 lakhs for food arrangements and Rs 3 lakhs for worship rituals."

At the main Ganeshguri pandal, several stalls have been removed to make way for sweet stalls offering a wide variety of treats. One of the sweet stall vendors mentioned, “Every year during Durga Puja, we set up a stall, and this year, it will stay until Lakshmi Puja. We have various sweets like jalebi, khurma, coconut ladoos, til laru,muri laru and many more. With the crowd expected to be larger than last year, we anticipate a higher footfall."

Many large stalls have opened small sweet stalls for Durga Puja and are fully prepared. Business Northeast spoke to the Manager of Priya Sweets, who said, Like every year, even this year, we have set up an extra stall for Durga Puja, and we are expecting good sales."
Meanwhile, the streets are buzzing with people shopping for new attire and preparing for the Puja. Markets are illuminated with lights, and like every year, excitement is in the air as the community comes together to celebrate Durga Puja.