Chandrayaan-3 to Beti Bachao; Durga Puja pandals in Jharkhand showcase varied themes

Ranchi: From Chandrayaan-3 to 'Beti Bachao', community Durga Puja organisers in Jharkhand have showcased varied themes in their pandals this year to attract people.

Artists, mostly from neighbouring West Bengal, are busy giving finishing touches to the marquees that started opening for the public on Wednesday evening.

Ranchi Railway Station Durga Puja Committee, which is known for pandals that have unique themes, has this year tried to spread awareness among the people about preventing female foeticide through its 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," the committee's president Munchun Rai told PTI.

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

As the work to build the pandal was mammoth, artists from Kolkata were brought in, and they worked over a few months to set it up, he said, adding that Rs 35 lakh was spent.

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

"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 said that Rs 20 lakh was spent on the pandal, and artists from Kolkata were assisted by those from the state to give shape to it.

The Chhapan Set Sarvajanik Durga Puja Committee in Doranda also built a pandal depicting Chandrayaan-3.

The Bharatiya Yuvak Sangh (BYS) of Bakri Bazaar, known for its grand pandals, has built what it called a replica of 'Chakravyuh', the formation used in the battle of Kurukshetra. More than Rs 50 lakh was spent to give shape to the 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.

In Jamshedpur's Kadma area, the Rankini Mandir Durga Puja Committee built a pandal, depicting 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.

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.