Durga Puja goes green this year

While many organising committees have chosen nature as their theme, others have cut down expenditure on entertainment to make elaborate security arrangements

While many organising committees have chosen nature as their theme, others have cut down expenditure on entertainment to make elaborate security arrangements

Preparations for Durga Puja, beginning September 30, are in full swing and organisers say all is set except for the final touches. Various Puja committees across the Capital have their hands full in the coming days.
This year, Puja committees of Chittaranjan Park have chosen nature as the theme.


Nature on mind: Preparation on for Durga Puja at Chittaranjan Park in
New Delhi. File PIC

Cooperative Ground Puja committee has chosen 'Save the Yamuna' as the theme. In accordance with the theme, they will use less bamboo, to save trees, and try to keep the entire event as eco-friendly as possible.
"For the first time, the Durga idol is completely chemicals-free. The Goddess is made of mud and nothing else. To decorate her, we will use only natural colours, and lentils will be used to make Rangoli. The budget is around Rs 30 lakh," said Jadhav Chandra Dey, the organizer at Cooperative Ground.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Song and dance
Meanwhile, the B-Block Puja Committee will stick to the conventional dance and drama. The committee has invited artistes from Bengal and Mumbai for various performances. A rock band called Darpan is to fly down from Mumbai on the second day of the Puja. Besides, famous singers Vishwajit Chakrobarty and Harimanti Shukla will also be here for cultural activities. There budget, too, is close to Rs 30 lakh, slightly higher than last year.
"For the last many years, our theme has been rural Bengal. This year, however, we had to restrict our entertainment expenditure and invest more in security, in view of the recent Delhi High Court blast," said Ashim Banerjee, spokesperson, B-Block Puja Committee.u00a0u00a0

One of the oldest, the Kali Bari Puja Committee, Mandir Marg, has been given a set of guidelines by Delhi Police, as the event attracts huge crowds every year. The entry to the pandal will be under CCTV surveillance and metal detectors will also be installed.u00a0 Speaking to MiD DAY, police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said all security arrangements are in place. According to the official, the organisers have been approached by police and have been asked to install CCTV cameras and deploy security guards. "Chittaranjan Park is the hub of Durga Puja. Special security arrangements are being made ahead of the festival," said Bhagat.