Correspondent
TURA, Sept 25 – Tura town is in the forefront of the Durga Puja celebrations in the Garo Hills, with as many as 20 puja mandaps set up in the town to welcome visitors. Apart from these mandaps, a private puja mandap for family and friends has also come up in Rishipara area of the town.
Most puja mandaps have been elaborately constructed with designs ranging from temples to palaces put up to create a vibrant show. Some of the mandaps have been constructed in similar style with North Indian temples while others have given way to ingenuity and the modern era.
This year’s celebrations is special for the Der-mile Durga Puja Committee, near Araimile, as they celebrate their silver jubilee with a lot of fanfare. Der-mile puja committee has always been at the forefront of celebrations and has won many laurels during successive puja competitions.
Likewise, the Nepali puja committee, near Tura bazar, is also gearing up for their special celebrations that begin from next year. Nepali Durga Puja Committee will be completing 125 years the coming year. Not keen to wait around, the committee has come up with elaborate preparations for this year’s 124th year celebrations. Various events ranging from games, musical entertainment and competitions have been lined up.
As in previous years, special Souvenors commemorating the annual puja celebrations will be released.
With competitions open for the best idol, mandap, lighting and styles, many puja mandaps have brought in the idols of Goddess Durga from the renowned sculptors of Kumartuli in West Bengal. Coloured lighting of the mandaps have also witnessed a dramatic makeover. Special effects in lighting are being used in this year’s celebrations with specialists all the way from Siliguri and Assam having been brought in.
The puja began with the celebration of Sasthi on Thursday night, as devotees offered special prayers to invite Goddess Durga to come and take her place at the mandap set up for her worship. The celebrations will come to an end with the Dak competition on Tuesday, a day after the immersion. The drum beating contest will witness the best drummers from each of the puja mandaps.
The puja celebrations are being overseen by the Central Puja Committee (CPC) that comprises of senior citizens and members from various mandaps. The CPC is closely coordinating with the district administration to ensure a peaceful and successful celebration.
Although Tura has always witnessed a colourful celebration of Durga Puja, the district administration has beefed up security at all the mandaps and besides police pickets at vulnerable points plain clothes special officers have also been placed on duty at various places. ASSAM TRIBUNE
No comments:
Post a Comment