BARIPADA: In a bid to honour President Draupadi Murmu, a 60 feet pandal resembling Rashtrapati Bhawan will be erected for Jagadathri Puja at Bhanjpur here. Media coordinator of Bhanjpur Jagadathri Puja Committee Somanath Singh said the present occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan is Draupadi Murmu, the first tribal woman President who made Mayurbhanj district proud by getting elected to the nation’s highest constitutional post.
“The committee has been celebrating Jagadathri Puja for the last 70 years. A pandal resembling the Rashtrapati Bhawan will be a first. It will be a humble gesture for the country’s first citizen,” he said. The pandal is being constructed at a cost of Rs 10 lakh. Around `1 lakh is being spent on construction of the idol of Goddess Jagadathri.
A fair will also be organised by the committee during the puja which will start from November 6 and end on November 18. Around 300 stalls will be set up at the fairground. This apart, CCTV cameras and fire extinguishers will be installed. Rashtrapati Bhavan at the national capital is an H-shaped building, covering an area of five acre on a 330-acre estate.