Tough time for artist meeting puja deadlines

Agartala, Sept 3: With only 15 days to go for the Biswakarmapuja and 27 days for the Durga Puja, the artists are busy to meet the demands of the various puja organisers.

With only 11 days gap between the Biswakarma and Durga puja, celebrated in the entire Eastern India, the sculptors are working extra time to meet the deadline.

Competition of bringing artists from outside the state is the recent trend among the organisers of the state.

All the artists, both locals and outside, are busy giving the final touches to the statues of Lord Biswakarma and Durga.

One of the big budget puja organisers here is decorating the pandal with diamonds. The pandal would be open for public from Mahalaya.

Many other big budget puja committees had started the preparations for the grand finale about two months ago.

The rates of various items required for pandal decorations like bamboo and wooden logs have risen sky-high.

''People are willing to shell out extra penny,'' said an enthusiastic puja organiser.

Most of the puja organisers fear that the weather may play spoil-sport during the festive period. ''The state has received late monsoon this time. We fear that rain may spoil the entire preparation,'' said another organiser.

In tribal dominated areas too, the preparation to celebrate the Durga puja has already started. There has been no reports of threats from any of the underground extremists groups which are very much active in the tribal dominated areas.

The Tripura police has issued some guidelines to the puja organisers to maintin peace before the festival.

The law enforcing authorities in its guidlines said the time for collections of subscriptions. ''Not more than two persons can go to any house for collection. That too in the time fixed by us,'' said a police officer. He further added that if any person is found collecting subscription forcefully, he or she will be punished.

The security has been beefed up in the entire state. ''We do not want to take any chance during the festive periods,'' said a top official of the state police.

UNI