BHUBANESWAR: At a time when the ongoing conflicts among countries, Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine in particular, have started changing the dynamics of international relationships affecting global harmony, the Baramunda Durga Puja Committee here has come up with the idea of celebrating the festival with the message of peace and unity among all to make the world a better place to live.
The committee, which will be celebrating its 24th Durga Puja this year, has decided to erect Thailand’s Buddha Temple-themed pandal to spread the message of peace and goodwill. “Be it the conflict of Russia-Ukraine or Israel-Palestine, we all know the devastating consequences of a war. Accordingly, we decided to come up with a theme that promotes and propagates peace and harmony among people, among the nations and all other entities. Accordingly, the theme of Buddha Temple to host the puja was planned,” said committee president Ramachandra Ranasingh.
He said they will offer prayer to the Mother Goddess during the puja seeking her blessings for world peace. The puja committee, apart from spreading the message of peace among the devotees, will also attempt to raise awareness on celebrating pujas in an eco-friendly manner. Accordingly, it has tried to use eco-friendly materials to erect the pandal.
Meanwhile, around 40 artists from West Bengal and Odisha are working to create the pandal which will be 65 feet tall and 120 feet wide. Artists from Jajpur are also busy making idols of Goddess Durga and other deities at the pandal. The idol of the goddess, which will be 14 feet tall, will be decorated with precious jewellery and ornaments. Other deities will be adorned with silver ornaments.
Ranasingh informed that special arrangements have been made to manage traffic and crowds at the puja mandap in view of its close proximity to the National Highway and the Baramunda ISBT. “Around 100 volunteers will be deployed for crowd management, while CCTV cameras will also be installed to keep watch on the pandal,” he said. Fireworks on the day of Ravan Podi will also be a major attraction, the committee members said.