SHILLONG, SEPT 28: Meghalaya is all set to celebrate Durga Puja, a major annual festival of the Hindus, which will begin from October 7 to October 11. Announcing this on Wednesday, the Central Puja Committee (CPC) said that the celebrations will commenced with the annual ‘get-together of harmony’ where leaders of different religious faiths, ngos, academician and others will join in the all faiths prayer for peace and harmony on October 4.
Stating that 166 pandals will be set up across the state, CPC general secretary JL Das informed that Shillong alone will be having 67 pandals installed by the puja committees and families.
While 92 pandals will be set up across the Khasi hills districts, 54 in Garo hills region, 11 in Ri Bhoi and 9 in Jaintia hills, a region which is home of the 100 year old Durga temple in Nartiang.
He informed all most all the puja pandals will install CCTVs.
Das also said that the committee is hoping that the ongoing power cuts will be exempted during the festival adding that a delegation will also be meeting the officials of MeECL next week.
The forest department had recently issued a warning against the use of harmful materials while making the Idols which damages the environment since the idols are immersed in the rivers and streams posing serious health hazard.
But the committee members said the cost of idols have gone up in recent times due to an advisory issued since 2010 urging idol makers to use natural herbal paint while making of idols.
“We would also like to invite the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) to test the water if there are any contaminations in the river after the festival,” Naba Bhattarcharjee said.
Stating that the CPC is also launching its Swachh Abhitan (cleaning drive), the CPC general secretary said, we will also undertake a cleaning drive at Immersion Ghat, Polo on October 5 and 6 and on October 12 immediately after immersion of Shree Shree Durga Idols and lastly after immersion of Sri Sri Kali Idols.
“All Durga Puja pandals will join the cleaning drive,” he said while informing that the CPC has also decided to take up the cleaning drive on regular interval which is Sunday of every month besides planting trees as part of beautification work at the immersion Ghat.
He informed that CPC’s SK Das Memorial Drum Beat competition (traditional) and CPC’s Prasad Gupta Memorial Drum Beat (Indigenous) will be held on October 10 at Puja pandal of BSNL Employees Durga Puja Committee, Shillong.-By Our Reporter
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