CUTTACK: Visitors to Bidanasi Durga Puja mandap here will get a chance to walk through a 500-ft-long light tunnel to view the idols this year.
In a first, the Bidanasi puja committee is constructing the 26-ft-wide and 18-ft-high tunnel which leads to the pandal located on the banks of Mahanadi river. The tunnel will be illuminated with decorative and bright lights.
Bhakta Ranjan Sahoo of Kanchan Bazaar in Dhenkanal is constructing the tunnel which is scheduled to be completed by Saturday.
The puja committee has also erected four light gates one of which replicates the Ayodhya Ram Mandir. While two gates have been erected at Chahata Chhak, the rest have come up at Gayatri Nagar and Bidanasi Sriram Mandap. Besides, the entire Bidanasi locality having more than 1,000 households will be decorated with lights.
A sum of Rs 8 lakh has been spent towards construction of the light tunnel, gates and other decorations, said secretary of Bidanasi Durga Puja Committee Shibendra Behera.
“As per the tradition, nine girls will be worshipped on Navami day while ‘Anna Prasad’ has been arranged for 10,000 people on Dashami. Cultural programmes including melody and Bhajan Samaroh will be organised for five nights till Dashami. We have prepared a budget of Rs 20 lakh for celebrating the Durga Puja festival,” he said.
The idol of Hara-Parbati was being worshipped at Bidanasi since 1948. But in 1992, local residents decided to worship the idol of Goddess Durga. Subsequently in 2017, the puja committee constructed a new mandap on Mahanadi river banks. A Chandi Medha was also made using 1.56 quintal of silver in 2019. Now, the backdrop has been renovated with addition of more silver and its weight has increased to 2.56 quintal, Behera informed.
“We have decided to make a golden crown for Goddess Durga. Construction of the gold crown will begin from the Mahastami day,” he added.