BHUBANESWAR: One of Cuttack city’s biggest Chandi Medha (silver tableau) at Ranihat is getting a new look this year. New motifs have been created from silver to add to the beauty of the tablaeu.At Ranihat, puja celebrations were started with the worship of Hara-Parvati idols in a thatched roof house by a group of traders. “2023 marks the 50th year of worship of Goddess Durga at the puja pandal. To commemorate it, we have redone the Chandi Medha by adding new motifs to it and changing the design to some extent. We are hopeful that people will love it,” said Bijay Sahu, secretary of the puja committee.
He added that people and businessmen of the area have donated silver generously for the redoing the silver filigree backdrop.The over 25-feet high and 15-feet wide tableau weighs 5.6 quintal and is considered one of the biggest and heaviest amongst all the Chandi Medhas in Cuttack.
As far as design of the backdrop is concerned, it is different from other pandals as it depicts peacocks dancing around a temple housing the nine forms of Goddess Durga along with elements of nature. Beneath the backdrop, there are figurines of dancing women and meenakari has been used to decorate them. Intricate traditional filigree work has been used by artisans of Cuttack to prepare the backdrop. The entire tableau is foldable which will facilitate movement of the idol and backdrop through the narrow lanes of the city during the immersion ceremony, Sahu added.
In 2014, the Mrunmayee Murti of the Goddess was embellished with an ornate gold crown weighing 5 kg at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. Heavy silver jewellery of the deity complements her crown as She is dressed up as a Warrior Goddess. This year, instead of ‘ladoos’, the puja committee will distribute 500 gram ‘gulab jamun’ each among locals and people who have contributed to the puja this year, on Astami.
