Cuttack to have Spartan Durga Puja

After Kolkata, it is probably Cuttack that has the most pompous celebrations of Durga Puja in Eastern India. Money is spent in the crores for the four day festival. However, this time, the Silver City is set to have a Spartan Puja, with Puja Committees and organisers deciding to scale down the celebration due to the flood devastation across the State.

The committees have decided to avoid the extravagant show in terms of mandap decorations, illumination, entertainment and musical programmes. The immersion ceremony will also be a low-key- affair. The collected money would be donated to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund as the state is facing massive flood.

"The show of pomp has been consciously shed by the Puja committees to save on the expenses and carry out relief and assistance operations in flood-ravaged areas. The Puja committees have also offered to contribute open handedly to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF)”, Cuttack Mahanagar Puja Committee president Pravat Tripathy said.

The Badambadi-Shankarpur Puja Committee has promised generous contribution to the CMRF. "We will also be assisting relief operations by other organizations. The donation would be made in the next few days," Badambadi Shankarpur Puja Committee Secretary Bibhu Prasad Jethi said.

The Puja mandap at the largest but terminus of the State has always been a major attraction. This time too Rs.4 lakh is being spent on designing it on the lines of a palace of Chinese emperor. "The payments for the arch have been made three months back. We can not cut down  on it now." Jethi said.

There are more than 154 Puja mandaps in the city. The austerity measures and the spirit of assistance would generate lakhs of rupees for the CMRF. All the committees and organizations have been asked to donate before October 2.

Collector and president of the Cuttack Mahanager Puja committee Girish SN has welcomes the decision. "With more than 19 districts and all the 14 blocks of Cuttack affected by floods, this gesture by the Puja Committees is exemplary. We hope to generate substantial amount for the CMRF and see active involvement of committees in the relief operations," he said.