Assam
Dibrugarh Municipality puja showcase lifestyle of fishermen.

Dibrugarh: The Municipality Durga Puja Committee, one of the most popular pujas of Dibrugarh has showcased the lifestyle of fishermen in their pandal.

The whole pandal and the Durga idol were made up of bamboo. The theme is based on “Fishermen and their livelihood.”

The Municipality Durga Puja is celebrating 38 years this time and the whole committee members were seen busy to conduct their puja smoothly.

Every year, the puja committee came up with environmental as well as eco-friendly themes.

Different types of lights were used in the pandals to showcase the lifestyle of the fisherman.

Raju Deb, advisor of the Municipality Durga Puja Committee said, “Every year we take innovative themes and get many awards from District administration. This year, we have tried a different thing. We have showcased the lifestyle of fishermen in our pandal. How fishermen catch fish by using nets and other things was showcased in the pandal. All the things were made up of bamboo. The whole pandal was made with bamboo,”.

“A fishing boat made with bamboo and other things used for fishing was displayed in the pandal. We have used lights that will attack the pandal hoppers. We tried to make some unique things and the people liked our themes. Every year huge crowds gather in the puja pandal to see our works. The workers were from West Bengal’s Midnapore district,” Raju informed.

He said, “Fish stalls were set up in the puja pandal which will showcase their culture and lifestyle. We hope that people will enjoy our puja,”

Similarly, the Jalan Nagar Sorbojonin Durga Puja Committee has stepped into its 62nd year and this year they have made the pandals with all natural things.

The pandal was made with tree leaves. For the past several years, the Puja Committee has been coming up with innovative themes that attract pandal hoppers.

“The puja pandal was made with all kinds of tree leaves. In the puja pandal you will find birds’ nests. We have not used any materials which are harmful to nature. If you enter the puja pandal you will be mesmerised to see the natural park where find every natural thing,” said artisan Shantu Mahapatra.

For the past several years Shantu Mahapatra has been engaged with the puja committee and every time he tries different things that will attract the people.

“Every year huge people gathered at our puja pandal to see our puja. People praised our puja for our innovative themes. Last year, we made a tribal park that won awards. This year we expected a good crowd in our puja pandal,” said Partha Bhattacharjee,  convenor of the Puja Committee.

More than 120 Durga pujas will be celebrated in Dibrugarh this year.

Most of the puja pandals in Dibrugarh have taken up environmental-related themes.

The Dibrugarh district administration has chalked out plans for smooth traffic flows during the Durga puja in Dibrugarh.

Avik Chakraborty is Northeast Now Correspondent in Dibrugarh. He can be reached at: babs8oct@gmail.com