Durga Puja 2022 pandals in Bhubaneswar: From Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir to Russia Heritage Museum

Tuhina Sahoo Bhubaneswar, Oct 1: The theme based puja pandals and gigantic idols of Durga Maa are set to be the biggest attraction in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. The puja will commence today with much pomp and grandeur after a gap of two years amid Covid-19. The much-awaited festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil as goddess Durga slayed demon king Mahisasura as ‘Mahisasura Mardini’. Today is Maha ‘Sasthi’. The devotees welcome goddess Durga with pomp into the pandals. The face of goddess Durga idol is unveiled to the devotees on this day and this year is expected to witness more footfall of devotees. Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir at Saheed Nagar {"id":217047,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} The Saheed Nagar Durga Puja Committee has come up with a beautiful replica of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The height and width of the pandal is 85ft and 120 ft respectively. The pandal has been designed by Biswanath Ghose with the help of 50 skilled artists from Kolkata and Cuttack. Having an experience of 32 years, he has designed the pandal. Speaking to Prameya English, Sachinandan Nayak, president of the puja committee, said, “Generally here at least two quintals of silver are used to decorate the ‘Medha,’ but this time the committee will use an additional 30 kg of silver for the decoration. They have also planned to offer prasad to 1,500 households in Saheed Nagar at the time of Ashtami and Nabami. Delhi’s Akshardham temple-styled pandal at Rasulgarh {"id":217048,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} Rasulgarh Durga Puja pandal has adopted the theme of Akshardham Temple in Delhi. The length and width of the pandal is 80 feet and 120 feet respectively. The Durga Maa idol is made up of eco-friendly materials, mostly bamboo sticks and mats and wooden ice-cream sticks. Every year, the Rasulgarh Durga Puja Committee created replicas of different places. Moreover, the main attraction in the puja pandal will be ‘Meena Bazzar.’ Russia Heritage Museum at Jharpada Durga Puja Mandap {"id":217053,"width":696,"height":391,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} Jharpada Durga Puja Mandap has adopted a replica of Russia’s Hermitage Museum at Jharpada Durga Puja mandap. The height of the gate will be 85 feet and the width will be 150 feet while the ‘medha’s height will be 20 feet and width will be 12 feet. The pandal gate has been crafted by artisans from West Bengal while the idol has been crafted by Cuttack’s craftsmen. The idol has been decorated with gold ornaments. Varanasi Ghats at Old Station Bazaar {"id":217118,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} Old Station Bazaar Durga Puja Samiti is all set to make the celebrations more grand and unique, as this year the pandal gate will be the replica of Varanasi Ganga Ghat. Having a width and height of 130 ft and 35 ft respectively. The width of the gate has been increased by 50 ft than its usual size in the previous years. Jodhpur Palace at Baramunda {"id":217057,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} Baramunda Puja Committee has adopted the replica of Jodhpur Palace in Rajasthan. The pandal has been designed with the help of 40 skilled artists from Kolkata. The length and width of the gate are 65 feet and 120 feet respectively. Moreover, the idol has been decorated with gold ornaments. The main attraction in the puja pandal will be ‘Meena Bazzar.’ The people will be celebrating this puja with three days cultural programme.