Paradip, Sept 15: The port city of Paradip is gearing up for its grand Vishwakarma Puja, with preparations at various puja mandaps nearing completion. This year, 17 puja mandaps will worship Lord Vishwakarma, while more than 700 stalls are expected to come up across the city.
From installation of the idols to the immersion procession, residents are preparing to celebrate the festival with traditional rituals, enthusiasm and a strong spirit of brotherhood. The police and administration have also made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth and peaceful celebrations.
One of the most distinctive features of Paradip’s Vishwakarma Puja is the participation of people from different communities. Hindus, Muslims and Christians come together during the celebrations, from puja activities to the immersion procession, making it a symbol of communal harmony and social unity.
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With the festival approaching, decorative work at the mandaps is progressing rapidly. More than 300 artisans from Kolkata have been working day and night on the decorations, as they do every year.
The large number of stalls is also expected to bring business opportunities for traders, who are hopeful of good sales during the festival.
However, concerns have also been raised over the lack of discipline during the immersion procession, with mandaps sometimes moving independently and without proper coordination. Intellectuals and local residents have urged the administration to organise the immersion procession in a single, orderly line, involving different puja committees together. They believe such an arrangement could make the procession more organised, attractive and grand.
Social worker and senior member of the Paradip Truck Owners’ Association, Salim Khan, said Odisha is known for its peaceful nature and that people from across the state and outside come to witness Paradip’s famous Vishwakarma Puja.
OMFA general secretary Arabinda Swain said the festival is not merely a religious celebration but also a unique symbol of brotherhood, unity and social harmony. He said bringing members of different puja committees together in one coordinated immersion procession would further enhance the significance and attraction of the festival.
