Cuttack, Oct 12: Glittering silver medhas, golden crowns and precious ornaments make Cuttack’s Durga Puja celebrations distinctive. But behind this dazzling display lies a year-round system of security, careful accounting and community trust that helps protect an estimated ₹200 crore worth of gold and silver assets.

Once the festivities end, the elaborate silver backdrops and ornaments disappear from public view. They are dismantled, carefully checked and stored in strong rooms equipped with modern lockers. Their security relies not only on locks, keys and CCTV surveillance but also on strict inventory procedures and the involvement of local community members.

Cuttack’s silver medha tradition

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Cuttack has developed a distinctive tradition of silver medhas, with different neighbourhoods and puja committees showcasing elaborate silver filigree craftsmanship during Durga Puja.

For many committees, creating a grand silver medha is a matter of prestige, reflecting the neighbourhood’s heritage, resources and collective participation.

There is no uniform quantity of silver used in these structures. Depending on the design and scale, individual medhas and decorations may weigh between two and four quintals.

Cuttack currently has around 37 silver medhas, whose combined weight is estimated at more than 100 quintals. Including the silver decorations used by other puja committees outside the recognised silver medha group, the total quantity of silver displayed during Durga Puja and Kali Puja is estimated at around 150 quintals.

From silver filigree to gold crowns

Cuttack’s Durga Puja has gradually evolved beyond its celebrated silver craftsmanship. Over the past two decades, gold ornaments and crowns have become another significant feature of the festivities.

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A landmark moment came in 1993, when the Chaudhury Bazaar Puja Committee created a gold crown weighing approximately 3.5 kilograms for Maa Durga. The crown attracted widespread attention across Odisha and encouraged other committees to invest in gold ornaments.

Since then, several prominent puja mandaps, including those at Chaudhury Bazaar, Mangalabag, Sheikh Bazaar, Ranihat, Choudwar? and other localities, have showcased gold crowns and ornaments for the Goddess and accompanying deities.

Among the prominent locations are Chaudhury Bazaar, Mangalabag, Sheikh Bazaar, Ranihat, Chaulia Ganj, Khan Nagar and Kathagadasahi.

Some committees have also added gold decorations and intricate jewellery to their silver medhas. The Chaudhury Bazaar medha, for instance, features gold details alongside its silver craftsmanship.

According to estimates cited in the report, the gold used across Cuttack’s Durga Puja decorations exceeds 100 kilograms, with an estimated market value of around ₹150 crore. When the silver assets are included, the combined value is estimated to cross ₹200 crore.

How are the precious ornaments secured?

Despite the enormous estimated value of these assets, their year-round security is managed through arrangements made by the respective puja committees rather than relying solely on external security agencies.

The silver medhas, gold crowns and other ornaments are kept in strong rooms within the puja mandaps, secured using modern lockers with restricted access.

The locker keys and access codes are entrusted to designated office-bearers or accounting officials. Specific procedures govern every stage, from opening the lockers and removing the ornaments to checking, cleaning and storing them again.

CCTV cameras also monitor the strong rooms throughout the year.

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A detailed inventory before every Durga Puja

The security process becomes particularly important in the weeks leading up to Durga Puja.

Approximately a month before the festival, committees begin preparations to clean and polish the silver ornaments. Before the lockers are opened, members of the neighbourhood are informed about the scheduled date.

On the designated day, the lockers are opened in the presence of committee representatives and local members. Every ornament is checked against the committee’s inventory list, and its weight is verified.

The cleaning process begins only after the recorded details and physical weights have been matched.

The polishing and cleaning work can continue for around 15 days, during which committee representatives remain present to supervise the process.

This system helps ensure that every ornament is accounted for before being used during the festival.

Another round of verification after the festival

Security and accounting checks do not end with the conclusion of Durga Puja.

After Durga Puja and Kali Puja, the ornaments are checked again. Committees hold meetings where members verify the inventory and match each item against the recorded list.

Only after confirming that the ornaments and their recorded details match are they returned to the lockers for safekeeping.

This process creates a record of the ornaments before and after their public display and makes accountability a shared responsibility.

Cuttack’s silver medhas are more than expensive decorations. They represent neighbourhood pride, religious faith, traditional craftsmanship and generations of community participation.

The preservation of these assets therefore depends on a combination of modern lockers, restricted access, CCTV monitoring, systematic accounting and community oversight.

The presence of neighbourhood members during inventory checks and the cleaning process helps strengthen transparency and shared responsibility.

As Cuttack prepares to showcase its celebrated silver medhas and gold ornaments during the festive season, the system behind these treasures remains an equally important part of the city's Durga Puja tradition.

The dazzling ornaments may be visible to devotees for only a few days each year. Protecting them, however, is a responsibility that continues long after the festival ends.