Sultanpur to mark 50th anniversary of Durga Puja

Sultanpur, Sep 29 (UNI) The Durga Puja festival celebrated here with religious fervor and gaity and clamed to be second to Kolkata in it's grandeur, is all set for it's golden jubilee celebration from tomorrow.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Durga Puja, special arrangements for grand celebration have been made.

The pandals are being tastefully decorated like that of Hardwar temples, where goddess Durga idols made by artists of West Bengal will be placed.

To mark the occassion, marriage ceremony of eleven poor girls will be solemnised in the pandal.

Unlike other parts of the country, where the Durga festival, popularly known as 'Navaratri', is celebrated for nine days, the festivities here will be held for a fortnight.

Several cultural programmes including 'Jagran', 'Kirtan' and 'Samudra manthan' will be organised during the festival. On the day of 'visarjan shobha yatra,' artists of Hanuman Akhada will entertain people and every house on the path of yatra would be decorated with lights.

A large number of devotees from Faizabad, Pratapgarh, Ambedkar Nagar, Rai Bareili, Barabanki, Bhadohi, Allahabad, Unnav, Varanasi, Lucknow and other districts of the state, throng here on the auspicious occasion.

Puja Samities and NGOs have made arrangements for food and lodging for the devotees.

Besides, special camps have been put up to give medical facilities to the people, if needed.

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